Julie Garwood - Come the Spring

was far more interested in exploring his surroundings than eating, and

it took considerable coaxing by his mother to get him to cooperate.

Cole wasn't worried about all the noise Caleb was making, because he

knew they weren't being followed. He'd backtracked twice just to make

certain. The baby needed to run and play. He had been forced to sit

still on his mother's lap for most of the day, but he seemed to be

making up for lost time now. Full of vitality, he raced in circles

from one end of the clearing to the other, chattering away a mile a

minute.

Every once in a while he would burst into laughter over what Cole

decided must have been a private joke only a toddler could

appreciate.

His shoulders would shake with merriment.

The kid was a charmer, even when he was having a fullblown tantrum

because Jessica wouldn't let him go into the water. All her energies

were spent trying to turn his attention, but for some reason, when Cole

told Caleb to do something, he did it. He told him to sit, and the

baby promptly did just that. Caleb had already taken off his shoes and

socks and sat perched on top of one of the saddles under the overhang,

watching Cole brush the horses. His undershirt had ridden up to the

top of his belly, his nappy had slid to the tilt of his hips, and he

looked about as happy as a baby could be.

His mother, on the other hand, looked like hell. She was clearly

exhausted. She reminded him of his little sister's rag doll after it

had been left out in the rain and the slm too long. Her hair hung in

clumps, her white blouse was covered with dust and the strawberry jam

Caleb had smeared on it while eating his biscuit, and there were

smudges all over her cheeks. He still thought she looked too damned

sexy for her own good . . . and his peace of mind.

Jessica was too tired to eat, until he convinced her she needed the

nourishment. He coaxed her in much the same way she'd coaxed her son,

but he was smart enough not to mention that fact to her. In her

present state of mind, she wouldn't be amused.

He was starving and ate two helpings of the ham, beans, biscuits, and

sugar cookies. He kept his eye on her while he ate.

She was definitely in a mood tonight if her frowns were any

indication.

After suffering her stony silence for several minutes, he gave up and

asked her to tell him what was wrong.

"Why didn't you tell me we would be camping out tonight? You should

have warned me."

"Would you have done anything different if I had told you? " She

started to nod, then stopped. "I don't know, but I would have insisted

that you select a safer spot, " she said.

"This is about as safe as I could find, " he replied. "No one can get

to us from behind, and I can hear anyone coming down the path."

"That isn't what I mean, " she said. "And now you've started a fire.

I can't be in three places at once." He wasn't sure what she was riled

up about. He leaned back against the rock and stared at her. "We'll

need the fire later, " he said. "It's going to get cold in the middle

of the night. It always does up here in the mountains." She threaded

her fingers through her hair and closed her eyes. "Did you have to set

up camp next to a lake? " "The horses need water, Jessie, and so do

we, } he reasoned.

She didn't care if his explanation was logical or not. "Don't you

realize the enticement the water is for Caleb? I won't sleep a wink

tonight, worrying about him. What if he wakes up and wanders away? He

could get lost in the forest, or drown, or step on a snake . . . "

"Jessica, calm down. I'm not going to let anything happen to him. "

She acted as though he hadn't said a word. "He could fall in the fire

or step on a hot ember, " she continued. "What were you thinking? "

Although he did understand her concerns, he was a little insulted that

she didn't trust him to look after her and her son. "I'm not going to

let him get burned, drowned, bitten, or lost."

"I'm still going to worry, " she whispered. She glanced over at Caleb

to make sure he was all right, saw that he was digging in the dirt with

a stick he'd found, and turned back to the lake. In the fading light,

the water appeared to be on fire. The burnished orange sheen was a

lovely sight.

"You know what I think? " Cole said, drawing her back to the

conversation.

"No, what? " she asked on a weary sigh.

"You need a bath." She turned back to him. "Excuse me? " "I said you

need a bath. Take your clothes off and go swimming. It'll be good for

you. You're hot and tired, and the water will make you feel better.

Go ahead. I'll take Caleb in with me. I'll keep my back turned if

you're worried about your modesty, but out here folks have to be

practical." She glanced back over her shoulder at the lake. "I'm not

worried about modesty. I know you wouldn't take advantage of our

circumstances. You can't." If she hadn't added the last comment, he

would have taken what she had said as a compliment, for in his mind,

she had just admitted that she trusted him.

"I can't? " he repeated, his curiosity piqued. "Why can't I? " "Why

can't you take advantage of our situation? " "Yes." Her smile was

heart-stopping. The woman was something else all right, and he

realized then how difficult it was becoming for him to keep his hands

off her.

"Because you're a United States marshal, " she patiently reminded

him.

"And that means? " he prodded.

"It means you've taken an oath. You're here to protect me, not . .

.

" She was going to say the word "dally, " then changed her mind. ".

.

. you know." He couldn't make up his mind if he wanted to laugh or

groan. He gritted his teeth in frustration, for he finally understood

what she was telling him. He decided to set her straight.

"Jessica, contrary to what you might imagine, marshals aren't neutered

when they're sworn in. Giving up sex isn't part of the job

description." Her eyes widened. "Are you saying . . . " "Damned

right I am." He expected her to blush or at the very least try to

change the subject. She shrugged instead. "I'm not going to worry, 2

she announced.

She stared at the lake a long minute before nervously adding, "Should

I? " The longer he thought about the conversation and her bizarre

opinions, the more exasperated he became. "I'll tell you when you

should worry.

All right? " She laughed. "Yes, all right."

"Do you want to go swimming or not? " he asked. "Caleb, quit throwing

dirt and come here." The baby dropped his stick and came running.

Cole sat him on his lap and took his undershirt off.

"Is the water deep? " Jessica asked.

"I don't know, " Cole answered as he unfastened the ties holding

Caleb's nappy secure. "It probably is in the middle. Why? Can't you

swim? " "Not very well, " she admitted. "I haven't had much

practice.

" "Didn't you go swimming when you were a little girl? " She shook her

head. "There wasn't time for such frivolity." Cole looked at her.

"Why wasn't there time? " "I was busy." He could tell from her tone

of voice she didn't want to talk about growing up. If he'd been a

sensitive man, he might have heeded the unspoken suggestion and changed

the subject. Sensitivity wasn't one of his attributes, however.

"Doing what? " he asked.

She sighed. "I helped my mother in the shop where she worked . . . a

lady's dress shop, " she qualified. "When I was younger, I stayed with

neighbors or helped at school. There wasn't much time to play."

"It was just the two of you, wasn't it? Your father left."

"Yes, he left."

"Do you know where he is? " "I heard that he died, but I don't know if

that's true or not. Are you taking Caleb in the water now? " "Yes."

"You'll hold him tight? " she asked. "He's slippery when he's wet."

Cole pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. Then he

removed his gunbelt and stood up. She hastily turned her attention to

the lake, but not before she noticed how muscled his chest and upper

arms were. His skin was deeply tanned, indicating he had spent long

hours in the sun bare-chested. There was a mat of dark blond hair

trailing down to his belly button, and, God, she really shouldn't have

been looking. Cole was a handsome man. She would have had to be blind

not to notice his steely blue eyes, but what made him most attractive

to her was his behavior toward her son. He had the patience of Job.

He was gentle and soft-spoken with Caleb, and nothing the little one

did seemed to bother him.

He'd make a wonderful father. She pushed the thought aside the second

it popped into her mind. She didn't need him or any other man, she

reminded herself. She and Caleb were doing just fine the way they

were.

"I wish I had been able to talk to Grace before we left. I promised to

help her find a ranch. She offered me a job, and it would have been an

ideal setting to raise my son. He'd have room to run."

"What could you do on a ranch? " Her spine stiffened. "I could do

lots of things.

I've never been afraid of hard work, " she added.