knee. She plopped down and removed her lace-up boots and stockings. She fell back onto the quilt, her limbs akimbo, toes wiggling as she sighed gustily. “This is more like it.”
He let a warm, giddy rush of possessiveness flow through him. No one else got to see her like this, relaxed and carefree. Shadows and sunlight dappling her exposed flesh, a breeze tousling her hair and a secret smile curling her lips.
“Are you just gonna stand there staring at me, Deputy? Or are you planning on joining me?”
“Can’t blame a man for bein’ addle-brained with a beautiful half-nekkid woman spread out before him in a private feast.”
She laughed. “God. I love that sweet-talkin’ almost as much as your dirty talk.” She propped herself up on her elbows. “Did you bring a knife?”
“It’s in the bottom of the left saddlebag.”
He undid his gun belt and set it on the ground. His vest followed. Then he removed his hat, boots and socks and lowered next to her.
She’d sliced wedges of cheese, nestling the chunks into the pieces of bread she’d torn off. She handed him a piece and a dark brown bottle with a flip top.
“What’s this?”
“Wine.” She opened up a red bandana between them. “I brought plums and honey corncakes too.”
“Thanks.” Even though he wasn’t a huge fan of wine, he took a swig from the bottle. His eyes widened and he took another sip. “Dang, darlin’. That is good.”
“Mrs. Mavis makes it special for us from the fruit she has leftover in the fall. We girls hoard it. That is my last bottle.”
“Then I am grateful you’re sharin’ it with me.”
Tiny, sweet plums, sour bread and tangy cheese, golden, crumbly honey-cakes, all washed down with spiced fruity wine and shared in the sunshine with the woman he loved—it was the best meal he’d ever had.
After they’d stuffed themselves, they stretched out on the quilt. Jonas reveled in how easily Ruby snuggled into him, her head on his chest, her legs entwined with his.
She made a soft humming noise. “I love this.”
And I love you.
He stayed quiet and kept caressing her back.
The food, the wine, the warm woman at his side and a cool breeze drifting over them from the creek lulled him into a peaceful place.
Content, he dozed off. Ruby had too, he noticed, when a hawk’s cry awakened him. He turned his head and saw both horses still grazing in the meadow between the hills.
Ruby stirred. “I guess I was tired.”
“Yep. The snoring gave it away.”
She poked him in the side, and he laughed.
“I nodded off myself.”
“How was your trip to Gillette with Silas?”
“Good. He was skittish about bein’ on the train, thinkin’ he might run into Zeke West since he’s now forbidden from ever fightin’ with him again. I thought once we were at the stores he’d relax, but he was wound tight.”
“From what?”
“Nerves. It ain’t every day a man buys his intended a ring.”
She lifted her head off his chest and gaped at him. “That’s the reason for the emergency trip you two took into Gillette yesterday afternoon?”
“Yeah. It bugged Silas that people kept askin’ Dinah why she wasn’t wearin’ his ring.” He groaned. “Took him two damn hours to pick one. Then we went to a tailor. He’s havin’ a courtin’ suit made. I told him it looked like a funeral suit since it was all black, but he argued he liked plain, so I let him be. He bought a bunch of material, lace and other frilly stuff for Dinah to make a bicycling dress out of. I refused to help him pick out household goods and went to the saloon for a drink.”
“Poor Jonas. Not interested in setting up housekeeping,” she teased.
I’d set up a household in a hot minute with you.
“When are they getting married?”
“Next summer.”
She frowned. “Why are they waiting?”
“Dinah promised she’d teach and help out Doc for another year. Silas says he’ll use the time to improve the cabin, build chicken coops, add on a stall for a milk cow, till up a garden area, plant fruit trees. Hell, I think he might even be planning to sew curtains for the windows.”
Ruby laughed. “It’s sweet that he wants to make it a home for them.” She paused. “Where does that leave you?”
“Bunkin’ at the jail some weekends since Dinah plans to spend every other Saturday night and most Sundays with Silas. I thought about askin’ Sheriff Eccleston if I could start workin’ in the Sundance office. At least there’s a hotel