Chapter Seven
It took only a couple of hours for Jase, Marietta, and Zack to load the things they needed onto the borrowed buckboard they took to Jase’s ranch. As he sat next to Marietta driving over the beautiful open prairie on a warm December day, Jase’s heart filled with gratitude. He was thrilled he’d found the right solution to his problems.
While it was true he could end up with a broken heart when Marietta ultimately left him, if he let himself grow even fonder of her, he’d gladly take the pain in order to give Zack a few weeks of happiness. The happiness he’d receive himself with Zack and Marietta nearby would be enough to sustain him the rest of his life. It had to be.
Matters of the heart always surprised Jase. He’d actually been jealous when he’d seen the young soldier with Marietta on the Carson porch. He had no right to jealousy. He and Marietta weren’t even close enough to speak to each other on a first-name basis, yet he couldn’t help how he felt.
He’d grinned at his foolish feelings when he’d learned the reason Marietta had been sitting with the soldier: she’d been helping the private write a letter to his sweetheart back home. And Jase had been jealous.
No need to ponder that now. Marietta and Zack were next to him for the moment, and he couldn’t have been happier.
~ * ~
Marietta remembered Zack’s directions to Jase’s ranch home as they passed each of the landmarks the boy had described. The house was visible from a great distance away, and when they pulled up to the white clapboard building at sunset, she knew for sure it was indeed as large as it had appeared from miles away. She’d had no idea a rancher would live in such a fine home.
Jase helped her down from the buggy. “Let’s go inside. I’m sure Mabel has our supper ready. I’ll bring your things in later.”
“And I’ll help,” Zack said, jumping down from the buggy.
“Yes, you’ll help.” Jase pulled the boy’s knitted hat from his head and fluffed the blonde curls.
“Do you mind if we look around before we eat?” Marietta asked, looking up at Jase. “Your house is far more intriguing than anything I’d imagined. I’d expected to see something much more humble.”
A light of pride shone in Jase’s coffee-brown eyes. “We’ll look around while Zack washes up. Right, Zack?”
“Yup, Jase. I’ll wash up while you two look around, and I’ll help Mrs. Whipple set the table or wash dishes or take out ashes or fill the cistern or anything else she wants.” Zack was clearly intent on living up to his promise to be helpful.
Jase grasped Marietta’s arm and urged her up the front steps. “I’m glad to see you being cooperative, Zack. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” The boy rushed past them and ran inside, leaving the door open. “I’m back, Mrs. Whipple. And I brought my aunt!”
Jase chuckled. “I guess the news is broken.”
He led Marietta inside, took her coat, and hung it in the front closet next to his own. They stepped into the kitchen where he introduced the two ladies.
Marietta was aghast at the modern kitchen Mrs. Whipple had to work in. A bright yellow warmed the walls, the latest in cook stoves heated the room as well as their supper, and the whitewashed cabinets looked more like they belonged in a Chicago mansion than in a home in the middle of a prairie. What a luxury it must be on baking day to have so much workspace on top of the lower cabinets.
After the introductions, Jase led Marietta to a smaller room across from the kitchen. “This is my library.”
“A library! Mr. Kent, look at all the books!” Marietta scanned the wooden shelves filled with books. “You have a little piece of heaven right here in this house.” She stepped close to Jase and turned her beaming face up to meet his gaze. “We’ll have to read to each other as we did in the cabin.”
The instant the suggestion crossed her lips she knew she’d gone beyond proper bounds by suggesting such an intimate activity. It was one thing to pass the time reading to each other in the cabin when they’d been held captive by the storm, but here in Jase’s home... She’d been much too aggressive to suggest it.
Jase touched her shoulder lightly. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do, Miss Randolf.”
Marietta felt her cheeks burning. His quick acceptance of her daring suggestion and the provocative gleam in his eyes led her to suspect Mr. Kent might be flirting with her.
“Would you like to see the parlor?” he asked, waving his hand toward the door.
“Of course.”
He showed her his entire house, upstairs and down, and he promised he’d give her a tour of his outbuildings in the morning. Marietta was amazed at the beauty of his home. Its décor was simple, but the rooms were as homey and as comfortable as any she’d seen in Chicago. Staying in Jase’s house would be as comforting as being in her own home. She knew it the minute she’d stepped into the radiant kitchen.
The first week on the ranch went by quickly. Jase spent most of his time working, and he took Zack with him everywhere he went. During the day, Marietta busied herself with sewing. Zack had nearly outgrown all his shirts and pants. She was pleased to have the opportunity to hone the seamstress skills she’d allowed to atrophy when she’d increased her hours of work at the library.
Jase gave her some of his old things to refashion into new things for Zack. Mabel gave her a bolt of goods too. In the evenings, Marietta would join Jase and Zack for a stroll or a child’s story or game by the fire.
One afternoon during the second week of her stay, Jase came into the parlor where she was sewing. He held a sleeping little boy against his shoulder. “He finally wore out. He fell sound asleep ahead of me in the saddle. I was going to take him to see my favorite place on the ranch, but he just drifted off to sleep.”
“We’d better lay him down in his bed.” Marietta put her sewing aside and went with Jase to Zack’s room.
Jase laid him on the bed and gently covered him with his quilt.
“He looks like an angel,” Marietta whispered as she gazed upon the sleeping child.
“He’s a great boy, Marietta. You’re lucky to have him in your life.”
She looked up at him and found a fatherly love radiating from his gaze as he stared at her nephew. “We’d better go before we wake him.”
Jase pressed his hand to her back as he urged her out of the room. His warmth seeped inside her. She loved the touch of him, the sheer awesome masculine magic of him. She’d never known a more wonderful man.
When they were back in the parlor, he took hold of her arm before she could sit and return to her sewing. “Would you like to come with me since Zack can’t? I’d love to show you the special place I intended to show him.” Before she could reply, he added, “I know you don’t think much of the prairie, but what I want to show you is an enigma in the vast openness. I think you’ll enjoy it. We’ll ride out on Beaumont and Fancy.”
As Marietta stared into Jase’s compelling gaze she realized he could have asked her to go just about anywhere and she’d have said yes. It seemed he had cast a spell over her, and she didn’t mind one bit.
She cleared her throat and gave him a tentative look. “I’m afraid I don’t know how to ride a horse.”
He stroked his fingers along his jaw. “That could be a problem. We can take a buckboard part of the way, but the land gets too rough for anything but a horse, mule, or foot traffic before we reach our destination.”
“Maybe I could ride with you?” The words were out of her mouth before she could censor the thought. Her suggestion hung in the air as thick as fog, and her cheeks began to warm with embarrassment over her shocking suggestion.
A grin played at the corner of Jase’s mouth. “I don’t see why not. Beaumont is a strong mount. He can easily carry us both.”
As soon as her embarrassment over her outrageous behavior subsided she left the room and went to get ready for their outing. She met him in the barn momentarily. Within minutes, they were mounted on Jase’s stallion, moving w
est toward a rise in the plain.
She sat ahead of Jase, his arms surrounding her as he effortlessly guided his stallion over the rough terrain. She could feel the heat of his body penetrate through her clothing into her back. She decided she could live the rest of her life inside Jason Kent’s strong arms.
The thought had barely crossed her mind when her mother’s oft-repeated warning intruded on the very pleasant notion: Don’t ever let infatuation with a man cloud your judgment.
It took twenty minutes to reach their destination--twenty minutes which passed far too quickly. When they reached the rim of the landform he wanted to show her Marietta’s breath caught in her throat. She could hardly believe what she saw. She’d certainly never expected to find anything so beautiful in land she’d believed to be part of the underworld.
Where had such an oddity come from? Huge rocks lay everywhere. Pine trees, invisible during their ride, rose from the floor of the low-lying gully--but it wasn’t really a gully. It was more like a big semi-circle of a hodgepodge of trees, rocks, and rises coming from the ground. A stream ran through the odd space as far as Marietta could see.
Jase carefully guided Beaumont downward into the midst of the unusual land formation.
“This truly is an enigma, Mr. Kent. I’ve never seen such contradiction in nature nor a sight more lovely.”
“It’s called Pine Rock Hollow.” Jase dismounted near one of the large boulders and lifted her from the horse. When her feet reached the ground, he kept a tight hold on her hand. “Watch your step. The land is very uneven.”
She stared at the sight around her. “You watch my step for me. I can’t take my eyes off the rocks and trees.” She took two steps forward. “And the brook, Mr. Kent. I want to go drink from it.” She felt his grip on her hand tighten as she moved toward the stream.
He had to lift her a time or two as she tried to manage her long skirts over the rugged ground. When they reached the brook, she let go of his hand and dropped to her knees. She pulled off her gloves and dipped her cupped hands into the water. The second she touched the crystal liquid, she inhaled sharply and turned to look at Jase. “It’s warm. Is this a hot spring?”
“Not exactly. It isn’t as warm as you think; your hands are cold from the crisp air. It’s warm for a spring which isn’t a true hot spring, but it’s still just a spring.”
She dipped her hands into the water once more and raised them to her lips to drink. She stood and smiled at Jase. “It’s sweet.”
He nodded crookedly. “Like I said, it’s a mystery place. Everything about it is strange and beautiful.”
“Have you ever seen anything as beautiful as this?” she asked, looking around.
Jase stepped closer to her. He pulled off his gloves, shoved them into his pocket, and took her into his arms. “I’ve seen much greater beauty than this strange landform, Miss Randolf.” He stared at her in silence. “I’m looking at that great beauty right now.” He bent closer and pressed his lips to hers.
She wasn’t expecting him to kiss her.
She had no idea he would kiss her.
She was glad he was kissing her.
She slid her arms around him to let him know it was all right to hold her and kiss her the way he was doing.
He held her closer, his kiss lingering on her lips until she was sure she’d faint from the sheer pleasure of their union. When he broke their bond and pulled away from her, he stared down at her and held her face in one of his hands. “Marietta, you are so lovely.”
Her own words became lost somewhere between her mind and her throat.
It seemed an eternity passed before he pressed his lips to hers once more.
As he kissed her, touched her, held her as though she were the most valuable treasure on earth Marietta realized that, for the first time in her life, her world made sense.
Her rapturous discovery filled her heart with joy, and the burden of pain she’d been carrying disappeared.
She kissed him most fervently, clung to him and touched him. She’d never kissed any man before the way she was kissing Jase, not that she’d kissed more than one or two.
Was this what it felt like to be in love? Her head swam and her heart roared. She wanted more, and she let Jase know it.
When he abruptly pulled away, she felt her heart stop. He took two steps back; she took two steps toward him. She wanted him back in her arms. Now!
“Jase…” She searched his eyes hoping to find an explanation for the magic and mysticism which seemed to exist between them.
He looked away. “I’m sorry, Marietta. I’ve wanted to kiss you for a long time, but I’m afraid I’ve behaved inappropriately. You’ve got to know I didn’t bring you here just to kiss you.”
He gazed at her, his brown eyes wild with an emotion she’d never seen in a man’s eyes before. Yet, somehow, she understood the strange emotion completely, because it coursed through her own body as well: the strange, wonderful emotion had to be the holy desire shared by people in love. Committed love.
But there was no commitment between them, and there never would be. That was why Jase had expressed regret over what he’d done.
She reached toward him and touched his cheek.
“You’re a wonderful man, Mr. Kent. I’m glad for the time we’ve had together, but you’re right. We mustn’t indulge in this kind of behavior. It’s not for people like us, strangers who meet then never see each other again.” She glanced around the living mystery engulfing them. “Perhaps we should return to the ranch house.”
He took her hand. “Not just yet, Miss Randolf… Marietta.” He stared down at her. “Marietta,” he said on a whisper as he trailed his fingers through her hair. “Let me call you by your given name. Let’s have at least that much between us.”
Her heart beat wildly. “Jase, I wish we could have more than that.”
“Could we, Marietta?” he asked eagerly. He cupped her cheek with his palm. “Are you saying--”
She quickly placed her fingers over his mouth. “I’m saying we both know we can have nothing more than a stolen moment. But Jase...” She had to look away before she went on. “Jase, I’m glad you kissed me.”
He touched her chin and turned her face toward him.
She looked up at him and smiled.
“One more kiss, Marietta, a kiss we can live on for the rest of our lives.” His voice was low and husky. He gazed intently into her eyes and sweetly took possession of her lips once more. Her heart thundered in her ears as happiness coursed through her veins. She knew she would remember this precious moment for the rest of her life.
When he’d kissed her breathless, he pulled back and smiled down at her. He gave her another kiss before taking her hand and tugging her forward. “I have something I want to show you.”
They walked twenty yards or so over more rough terrain. Jase held her hand the entire way.
Marietta loved the feel of her hand in his. She loved it so much she never wanted him to let her go.
Jase urged her toward an indentation in one of the large rocks they came upon and lifted her down to a hollow. He let go of her hand and knelt beside a piece of stone about three-feet high and two-feet wide. “I’m making this marker for Kathy and Clint.”
Marietta knelt next to him and read the words etched into the stone slab. “Kathy and Clint Morgan. Beloved mother and father of Zack Morgan.”
She’d never been so deeply touched by anything in her life. “Mr. Kent... Jase, it’s beautiful.”
“I intend to carve the Lord’s Prayer on this stone too. Kathy prayed it often. She had a deep, abiding faith. I think that would be a fine tribute to a woman who gave us so much. I wanted you to know how deeply we all loved your sister.”
Just when she thought she couldn’t care for this man any more than she had as he’d kissed her and filled her with joy, he’d brought more happiness to her heart by showing tremendous kindness to the memory of her sister.
She stood and turned away from
him before he caught her shedding the tears she was struggling to hold back. “Jase, your generosity overwhelms me.”
He stood behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I’m not generous, Marietta, but I’ve learned to be grateful for the comforts we receive in life. Kathy was a great comfort to Clint, Zack, and to all those who knew her. This marker is a token of my gratitude to her.”
She turned and looked up at him. “Thank you, Jase, for loving and caring for Kathy and Zack.” She kissed his cheek and pulled back.
He grazed her cheek with the backs of his fingers. “It’s been my great pleasure.”
She gazed into his eyes, unable to look away for fear she’d break the perfect bond between them. Beaumont whinnied, spoiling the mystical spell which had engulfed her. She turned toward the horse. “We’d better get back,” she said, glancing at Jase.
“Are you sure you want to leave?” He touched her cheek and gave her another of his intense, irresistible gazes.
The last thing she wanted to do was leave. She’d suggested they return to the ranch because, if they didn’t, she was afraid she’d throw herself into his arms and never leave. “I think we should go, Jase.”
“I suppose all good things must end.” He cupped her cheek with his hand. “And today, Marietta, has been good beyond anything I could have imagined. I’m glad you came here with me.”
If they didn’t leave immediately, she doubted she’d ever be able to leave at all. The magic of both the place and the man could easily steal all of her common sense if she allowed it. She’d never felt so vulnerable. “Zack is probably waiting for us.”
“He probably is.”
As Marietta stared up at him, she wondered if he’d take her into her arms again.
She was terribly disappointed when he didn’t.
Jase took her hand and led her over the rocky ground to Beaumont.
He clasped his hands around her waist, and she hoped again he would draw her against him.
But he didn’t.
Instead he hoisted her onto his horse. “Zack probably won’t be too happy with me when we get back,” he said as he got on behind her. “He’ll be disappointed he didn’t come along with us, but I can bring him here another time.” He circled her with his arms as he took control of his mount. “I’m glad we came here alone, Marietta. I’ll never forget this day.”