"And now, with this, you can, too." She held her breath. It wasn't her place to tell a man how to live, but the beauty and care in what she saw was worth a fortune.

  "Jake will be heading to Austin soon for supplies." He tapped a dowel into place. "I think I'll see what we can set up."

  Grace braced her forearms on the edge of the table and watched him work and waited for the right time to tell him the room was ready. The last thing she wanted was to destroy his peace.

  She cleared her throat and jumped in. "I've finished moving things out of your old room. She has some wonderful pieces of needlework. I set some aside for the young'uns when they decide to start off on their own. They might like to have something of hers. Is there anything of Jeremy's mother that I should put aside for him? I really don't know what is Emma's and what is Laurette's."

  A.J. made a sound somewhere between a snort and a laugh. "She took everything with her when she left."

  "Left?" She wrinkled her forehead in confusion. "I thought she died in childbirth."

  He shaved a long strip, and then set the plane aside. Easing into the nearest chair, he propped up his bad leg. "She did, Grace, but she left first. Took off as soon as she found out she was carrying Jake's child. He tracked her down in New Orleans and brought Jeremy home."

  Grace fumbled for the stool behind her.

  "She wasn't a nice person. Complained all the time. Lazy. But none of us ever expected her to take off the way she did. Jake..."

  She held up her hand. No more. No wonder Jake had acted the way he had. Of course, he'd accused her of being like Laurette. That's what he was used to. To hear her complain about everything that went wrong...if only she'd known.

  But they couldn't live their lives keeping everything all bottled up. Marriage was sharing. Her parents had taught her that. Grace wasn't going anywhere. The vows she took were sacred. Jake had to understand that or they would continue to be miserable. He couldn't live in fear she would leave, and she couldn't live in fear that he would throw her out.

  "I have to talk to Jake." She stumbled blindly to the door.

  A.J. caught her skirt and pulled her to a stop. "He's out with the herd. It's spring roundup. I doubt he'll be back until Monday when the herd comes in."

  It seemed forever. Grace brushed a chill from her arms. "But what about church on Sunday? I thought we could go as a family."

  He dropped his hand and leaned back. "I haven't been to church since Emma died, Grace. It seems blasphemous to walk in those doors after being away for so long."

  A frown knitted her eyebrows. "You mean those children haven't been to church- ?"

  "Jake's been taking them. Now that you're here..." He shrugged a shoulder.

  Monday...days before she could clear the air between them. She squatted and placed both hands on A.J.'s knee.

  "Please tell me where the herd is. I've got to talk to Jake."

  He cupped his hand against her cheek. "Don't go running after him, sweetie. All the talking in the world isn't going to change things. You can tell him until you're blue you won't leave, but he's got to believe it in here." He touched his chest. "The two of you...the two of you need to fall in love first."

  "But..."

  He pressed his fingers to his lips. "Let me handle Jake. I promise it will all work out."

  A single tear slipped down her cheek. Grace nodded. "But you have to promise me something."

  A.J. flicked away the tear with his thumb. "What's that?"

  "Go to church with us on Sunday."

  He sighed, and then gave a single nod.

  * * *

  Jake watched Grace and A.J. through the window. He spied them as he rode up to the house with another offering of wildflowers. Seeing them all cozy, her hands on his lap, his hand to her face, was more than he could bear. Jealousy, betrayal, and an overwhelming sadness engulfed him.

  He never should have left the house that morning. It gave A.J. the chance he needed to stake a claim to Grace's heart-his second time in less than a day. What woman wouldn't want a man like A.J.? He was always the calm one, always sensitive to a woman's feelings. Oh, he could get riled when the mood struck, but Jake had never known him to be consumed by out and out rage. A.J. deserved to be happy again. To find a woman who would be as devoted to him as Emma. But why Grace?

  He tossed the flowers to the pigs and let his horse carry him back to the herd. He never should have left in the first place. But that patch of flowers and his hope they would heal the rift between him and Grace pulled him away. Too late.

  Jake gave a humorless chuckle. There was work to tend to. He'd neglected it too long. But through the day and night, thoughts of Grace made him useless. He missed the tension between them, even if it was laced with anger.

  Sleep was impossible. He lay there counting the stars and wished Grace was by his side. Just the thought of A.J. touching her, holding her, lying with her tore a hole in his gut the size of Texas. And he knew that if he had to follow Grace to the ends of the earth, he could never let her go.

  All he had to do was win back the trust he'd destroyed. He'd prove to her he could be just as good a gentleman as A.J. He'd take his time, and court her proper.

  All of Jake's good intentions to take his time and court her faded when he was finally able to get home that Saturday night. It was late enough. Jake thought he could sneak in. But there she was wearing only a pink wrapper, toting buckets of hot water to the tub in the corner of the kitchen.

  She looked up when he walked in. Their gazes locked, and then she pulled the curtain closed around the tub.

  It took three strides to reach her. Jake hesitated, and then stepped into the privacy that small space provided.

  Grace yanked the edges of her wrapper together.

  Jake caught her hands. "No," he whispered. "Please don't hide yourself from me."

  He dusted the material from her shoulders. It fell in a pink puddle around her feet.

  "So beautiful. So perfect." He cupped her breasts and flicked his thumbs over the tips.

  Grace closed her eyes and sighed. She didn't know if this was part of A.J.'s plan or not, but at this point she didn't care. Jake was here and she wanted him.

  He dropped a kiss to her shoulder. Grace grabbed the edge of the tub and arched her neck. He took the invitation, nipped a path to her throat, covered her lips in a penetrating kiss and then plunged onward to the curve of her breasts.

  A small cry left her lips. Jake answered with one of his own. She felt his tongue lap her navel. Her body quivered in response. He gently nudged her legs apart and knelt between them. Grace held her breath, waiting for him to join their bodies. Then his mouth nuzzled into the apex of her thighs. A flick of his tongue sent arrows of pleasure shooting to the depths of her soul.

  Grace tossed her head back on a smothered cry. Her hands slipped. She teetered for balance, and then fell under the water. Her foot cracked against Jake's chin. The curtains tore from their rings. She yanked upright, gasping for breath and found him sprawled on the floor.

  "Jake!"

  Jumping from the water, Grace yanked on her wrapper and knelt beside him. Her fingers fluttered over his face. He was out cold. Unconscious.

  Grace pulled his head onto her lap and smoothed back his hair.

  Footsteps beat a path their way. A.J. stopped at the threshold.

  "What happened?"

  A flush heated Grace's cheeks. "He...uh...slipped on a bar of soap."

  "Right...And fell on his chin?"

  Chapter Eight

  Jake winced as he scraped his razor over his bruised, swollen jaw. A kick from a horse didn't hurt this much. Of course, he could normally tell when a horse was in a kicking mood. He never expected his wife to knock him out cold.

  "Does your head still hurt?"

  He glanced in the mirror at Grace's reflection. She stood behind him, face twisted like she was the one in pain.

  Jake slung shaving soap into the basin. "What do you think?"

  Grace nibbled at her bottom lip. "If it matters much, I think the swelling's gone down quite a bit." She reached to touch the knot on the back of his head.

  He jerked away and lightly grabbed her wrist. "Thank you...you've done more than enough."

  Her eyebrows crinkled in concern. "Aw, Jake, are you mad?"

  A smirk lifted the uninjured side of his mouth. "Surprisingly, no. Considering your tendency to be less than graceful at times, I should have known better. I'm just grateful that that foot of yours has never found my crotch."

  Laughter sputtered from her lips and washed the worry lines away. She was especially pretty today in a dress of buttercup yellow. It brightened everything about her. Even the little feathered hat, that looked ridiculous on Emma, somehow fit Grace.

  "I can't wait to show you off today."

  Wonderment replaced humor, and it was all Jake could do to remember they had somewhere to be.

  "Then we need to get a move on or you won't get the chance."

  Grace hurried off before she could give in to the impulse and kiss him. Everything was fine...again, but for how long?

  She couldn't blame him for his foul mood this time. He had taken quite a whack to the chin and head, and had every right to be irritable when he finally regained consciousness. What worried Grace were those other dark periods. She longed to broach the subject with him and would have if not for his injury the night before and A.J.'s insistence that she wait. One thing was certain, though-A.J. had better do something soon because Grace was tired of tiptoeing around Jake.

  She found A.J. wringing his hands at the dining table. He didn't look like he could help himself much less anyone else.

  "Relax." Grace patted his shoulder in passing. "I promise God won't smite you for walking into church."

  "I hope not," he mumbled.

  After a quick check on her ham, Grace rousted the rest of the family. Justina's cheeks were rosy this morning, a picture of health. The baby was hearty, a blessing, too. Much as Grace worried about them, she was glad they were going to their own home today.

  By the time the children were settled around Justina and her baby in the rear of the wagon, Jake was ready to go. Just a glimpse of him in his Sunday clothes was enough to take her breath away. With a broad smile, he swung her onto the wagon seat then jumped up beside her.

  They were a small parade heading into town-the wagon with A.J., Hoyt, and the ranch hands riding alongside. It was attention Grace wasn't sure they needed. She'd hoped to be able to slip into a pew with little commotion.

  The thought made her laugh. Five children, five adults, and a baby? There was no sneaking with a crowd like that.

  "What's so funny?" Jake cocked his head, waiting for her answer.

  Grace kept her hands folded on her lap and watched the road. "There are so many of us. Everyone's going to look at us."

  Jake looked around. "No more than usual, really."

  She leaned closer and kept her voice low. "I just don't want to make A.J. feel uncomfortable."

  "With Justina's baby and you along, I doubt anyone will even notice A.J."

  At least Jake had the good sense not to laugh at the stricken expression on her face- one of the few smart things he'd managed to do since he met her. He didn't know why Grace would be surprised. She had to know what a curiosity the new Mrs. Tanner would be.

  By now the children would have told all of their schoolmates, who would have taken the news straight home. The fact that Grace was a stranger to these parts would make her all the more interesting. Only the sick, lame, or lazy would skip church today. Everyone would want to take a gander at her.

  Jake's story would be the same one he'd told Grace's neighbors the day they married. He met her when her father bought the cow. A small part of him knew that wasn't far from the truth. If he'd met her a year ago, Jake doubted he would have been able to get her out of his mind.

  As he suspected, just about the whole town showed up at the church. They milled around the entrance in small knots of people most probably speculating on who the new Mrs. Tanner was. At the first sight of the wagon, heads turned their way. A few took steps toward them. Jake reined the team to a stop and braced himself.

  "Come on, everyone, looks like we just made it." He jumped down and girdled his hands around Grace's waist.

  She barely had time to set her toes on the ground when the first attack began-the Cyruses.

  "Why, Jake Tanner...what do we have here?" Mrs. Cyrus's eyes sparkled as she sized Grace up.

  They were saved by the peal of the church bell. At least Jake thought they were. He didn't count on the old woman's persistence.

  "You must be Grace. I can tell you, you've got tongues wagging around this town." She linked her arm through Grace's and led her to the church. "Now tell Mrs. Cyrus all about yourself."

  Mr. Cyrus clapped Jake on the back. "Sly old dog. How long how have you had this bee in your bonnet?"

  "Save the tale for the congregation, gentlemen."

  Paul Harrington wasn't what Jake called a typical preacher. He was young, where most he'd known looked as old as Moses himself. He preached a good sermon, not one to put you to sleep. Short and to the point. When he shook a man's hand, it was firm, no nonsense, with a look straight in the eye.

  His hands were callused. He wasn't afraid of work. With his bronzed skin and dusty blond hair, Paul could have blended well with Jake's ranch hands. He could joke with the men or sit down to tea with the ladies and still be equally comfortable. When womenfolk had no luck pairing Jake up, they set their sights on Paul. So far, in the eight months since he arrived at Cottonwood Bend, Paul had managed to avoid any matrimonial entanglements.

  The reverend extended one hand to A.J. "Good to have you join us again. You've been missed." Contact was brief and sincere, nothing to make A.J. uncomfortable.

  Paul shot his gaze to Jake. "Looks like you tussled with a steer."

  "Just took a fall."

  Up ahead Grace's cheeks flamed with embarrassment. Jake hurried to catch up with her.

  "No one's going to believe the story if you blush every time we tell it," he whispered as he cupped her elbow.

  Her flush deepened as they slipped into the only available seat-the honored first pew. Jake shook his head. At least it kept the rest of the gathering from having to turn around to gawk at Grace.

  Grace watched Reverend Harrington ascend the pulpit and shuffle his papers together. He was the youngest preacher Grace had ever seen, and not bad looking either. Judging from some of the young ladies in the congregation, that fact hadn't gone unnoticed. Grace craned her neck for a glimpse of Millie Barnett to see where her interest wandered. It went no further than the hymnal in her gloved hands, but that didn't mean he wasn't a threat to Joe's matchmaking plans.

  "Before we begin services today, we have a few announcements to make. I want to thank the Ladies' Quilting and Sewing Circle for the beautiful vestments in our church today."

  Applause tittered through the church. Grace tried not to look around. It wasn't easy. Church for her was also the schoolhouse or sometimes a tent outside the mercantile. With high ceilings, a big stained glass panel at the entrance, smooth pews, and hymnals, this building took a person's breath away. As quaint and picture perfect as the rest of the town.

  Cottonwood Bend dwarfed Sleepy Eye. Everywhere she looked there were shops and houses, some two floors high, with fences and beautiful flower gardens. Hitching posts. Boardwalks shaded by overhangs. And more trees than she could count.

  "And finally...I'm sure we'd all like to welcome our newest member of the community. Jake Tanner, would you like to make the official introduction?"

  Grace shook her wandering mind clear and stood when he gently tugged on her hand. She'd been so busy daydreaming, she hadn't heard the other announcements.

  Jake curled an arm around her waist, tucking her close. The story was the same he'd told the townsfolk at their wedding. Somehow it didn't sound as sweet this time, no matter how sincere Jake's voice.

  Mrs. Cyrus tapped her shoulder after they sat down. "I could tell this was a love match from the sparkle in your faces."

  Grace smiled at her, and tried to hide the sadness her compliment brought on. If only there were at least a little truth to Jake's story. As things stood they were barely friends.

  Throughout the sermon Jake watched Grace sitting in ladylike splendor absorbing everything Paul had to say. And afterward when she became the center of attention and object of everyone's interest. This was too familiar, too much like the first time he'd brought Laurette to this church, well, with one big exception-Grace hated it. Oh, she was pleasant enough, cordial, but there was no fluttering of eyelashes, fanning of her face, or forced laughter. She was truly a lady, something Jake was ashamed he hadn't taken the time to notice sooner.

  Pride and panic warred with one another. One part of him wanted to clutch her close and never let her go. Another part wanted to keep as far away from her as possible and protect a heart that was slowly being captured.

  One look at A.J. squelched that plan. Here was a man ready to snatch up what Jake was afraid to accept. And one thing Jake was sure of-as much as he feared heartbreak again, he knew seeing her with his brother would kill him.

  By the time they were ready to leave, Grace had invited three more to dinner: the Cyruses and Paul. Jake didn't want Millie Barnett for dinner much less anyone else. People took time away from Grace and Grace away from him. And time was something he was rapidly running out of.

  Already the division was starting-men in the wagon, women in the Cyruses' buggy. And, naturally, Millie and Mrs. Cyrus had to get something, most probably food.

  Women were a mystery. For the life of him, Jake could never understand why they had to take food to someone's house when they'd been invited to supper. Were they afraid the food they were getting wasn't good enough? His mother had taught them it was all about good manners, but it just made no sense.

  His irritation must have been apparent, for Grace hurried his way.

  "We'll just be a minute or two. Why don't you go ahead? I'm sure the reverend and Mr. Cyrus would like to get in out of the sun."

 

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