door.
“I can’t.” Colt swore again. “Whoever closed the door threw the lock. We built this place to double as a jail if we ever needed one. There’s no way out from the inside.”
She could hear him feeling his way back down the steps. “Light a candle,” he ordered.
“I can’t,” Joanna answered. “I sent them up top with the girls earlier. They were only stubs and I planned to send new ones over.”
“Why’d you send for me?”
“Send for you? I didn’t!” Joanna fought the urge to swing wildly through the blackness and see if she could hit him. His tone told her he considered this mess to be her fault.
“But Johnnie said you did.” He shot the words at her with such anger she could feel them move across the space between them. “She said I had to come quick.”
Light flickered inside Joanna’s mind, if nowhere else in the room. “Can she lift the door to the cellar?”
“Hell, no.” Colt seemed to follow her thinking. “But all three of them probably could.”
“They wouldn’t,” Joanna whispered. “Why would they do such a thing? All we have to do is bang on the door and someone will let us out.”
“No.” Colt’s laughter surprised her. “I told all the men except the sentries to go back to their barracks and get a few hours’ rest.”
Joanna fumbled her way along the wall until she reached the steps. She felt Colt jump as she touched his shoulder, but she held tight and sat down next to him. “Are you telling me that three little girls locked the commander of this fort away?” She didn’t remove her hand from his arm. Even if she was angry at Colt, she needed to know he was near.
“Looks that way.” Colt moved, scooting closer so that their hips touched.
Joanna leaned into his body slightly and somehow the blackness didn’t seem as frightening. Despite their words something drew her to him, something stronger than just a need not to feel so alone in this place.
“But why?” Joanna tried to use logic. “Have you ever locked them up?”
Cold sounded offended. “Of course not. They’re my daughters, not criminals. However, when I get out of here, I might give punishment more thought in the future.” He absently slid his hand behind her, offering her back a rest.
Joanna tried not to think of how close Colt was. She could feel the light movement of his chest as he breathed. “Are they angry at you?”
“Of course not.” Colt leaned back against the steps and pulled her with him. “No more than they’re mad at you.”
“We’ve been having a wonderful time talking about Valentine’s Day tomorrow. Johnnie’s been asking me questions all week about how people fall in love.” Joanna sucked in her breath suddenly as an idea struck her.
“What is it?” Colt turned slightly, his knees bumping hers. “Are you all right?” His fingers brushed along her arm in more of a caress than a search. “Did you hurt yourself?”
“No.” Joanna meant to push his hand away. Yet when their fingers touched, she had no desire to remove his nearness. “I just figured out why we’re here.”
Colt waited. He slowly turned his hand over and threaded her fingers through his. He knew if someone were outside the door listening, they’d have no idea how close he was to Joanna in the darkness. Or what their bodies were telling one another even while they spoke of other things.
“Remember”—Joanna squeezed his hand loving the game as much as he—“the other morning when Johnnie asked me how people fell in love and I told her by spending time alone together?”
Colt didn’t comment but slowly circled his thumb across her open palm.
“So the girls are giving us some time alone . . . together.” She could feel the warmth of Colt beside her, but he didn’t speak.
“Did you hear me?”
“Of course I heard you,” Colt answered. “You’re trying to tell me my little girls dreamed up this plan. What about your aunt Etta? She’s the one with the crazy
“I can’t.” Colt swore again. “Whoever closed the door threw the lock. We built this place to double as a jail if we ever needed one. There’s no way out from the inside.”
She could hear him feeling his way back down the steps. “Light a candle,” he ordered.
“I can’t,” Joanna answered. “I sent them up top with the girls earlier. They were only stubs and I planned to send new ones over.”
“Why’d you send for me?”
“Send for you? I didn’t!” Joanna fought the urge to swing wildly through the blackness and see if she could hit him. His tone told her he considered this mess to be her fault.
“But Johnnie said you did.” He shot the words at her with such anger she could feel them move across the space between them. “She said I had to come quick.”
Light flickered inside Joanna’s mind, if nowhere else in the room. “Can she lift the door to the cellar?”
“Hell, no.” Colt seemed to follow her thinking. “But all three of them probably could.”
“They wouldn’t,” Joanna whispered. “Why would they do such a thing? All we have to do is bang on the door and someone will let us out.”
“No.” Colt’s laughter surprised her. “I told all the men except the sentries to go back to their barracks and get a few hours’ rest.”
Joanna fumbled her way along the wall until she reached the steps. She felt Colt jump as she touched his shoulder, but she held tight and sat down next to him. “Are you telling me that three little girls locked the commander of this fort away?” She didn’t remove her hand from his arm. Even if she was angry at Colt, she needed to know he was near.
“Looks that way.” Colt moved, scooting closer so that their hips touched.
Joanna leaned into his body slightly and somehow the blackness didn’t seem as frightening. Despite their words something drew her to him, something stronger than just a need not to feel so alone in this place.
“But why?” Joanna tried to use logic. “Have you ever locked them up?”
Cold sounded offended. “Of course not. They’re my daughters, not criminals. However, when I get out of here, I might give punishment more thought in the future.” He absently slid his hand behind her, offering her back a rest.
Joanna tried not to think of how close Colt was. She could feel the light movement of his chest as he breathed. “Are they angry at you?”
“Of course not.” Colt leaned back against the steps and pulled her with him. “No more than they’re mad at you.”
“We’ve been having a wonderful time talking about Valentine’s Day tomorrow. Johnnie’s been asking me questions all week about how people fall in love.” Joanna sucked in her breath suddenly as an idea struck her.
“What is it?” Colt turned slightly, his knees bumping hers. “Are you all right?” His fingers brushed along her arm in more of a caress than a search. “Did you hurt yourself?”
“No.” Joanna meant to push his hand away. Yet when their fingers touched, she had no desire to remove his nearness. “I just figured out why we’re here.”
Colt waited. He slowly turned his hand over and threaded her fingers through his. He knew if someone were outside the door listening, they’d have no idea how close he was to Joanna in the darkness. Or what their bodies were telling one another even while they spoke of other things.
“Remember”—Joanna squeezed his hand loving the game as much as he—“the other morning when Johnnie asked me how people fell in love and I told her by spending time alone together?”
Colt didn’t comment but slowly circled his thumb across her open palm.
“So the girls are giving us some time alone . . . together.” She could feel the warmth of Colt beside her, but he didn’t speak.
“Did you hear me?”
“Of course I heard you,” Colt answered. “You’re trying to tell me my little girls dreamed up this plan. What about your aunt Etta? She’s the one with the crazy
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