more alive than she’d felt in years. Fighting with Gabe had always been stimulating; making up pure heaven.
“Where the hell was I supposed to sleep? With the pig? Sorry, darlin’, but the floor is hard and cold, and this bed is big enough for two. And besides…” He lowered his voice to a low, silky drawl. “According to you I’m still your husband. That gives me every right to be here.” His gaze dropped, made a deliberate, assessing journey that ended on her still-naked breasts. “That gives me rights, period.”
Yes , screamed her body.
No , hollered her good sense.
“I’m confused,” she admitted with a cry.
“I’m shocked,” came Andrew’s voice from the doorway.
With a yelp, Tess pushed Gabe off of her, yanked the sheet up to her chin, and stared in distress toward the crowd of people standing in the open doorway. “Andrew? Twinkle?”
“Us, too,” Amy Baker said, clapping her hands over her husband Jack’s eyes, her wedding ring flashing right along with her bright blue eyes. “And Colonel Jasper. I must say, I’m surprised at you, Tess.”
“Well, I’m impressed,” Twinkle said, fingering a dangling earring as her measured gaze swept over Gabe’s bare chest.
“What’s this all about?” Colonel Wilhoit demanded. His medals lifted as he filled his lungs with air. “We don’t have time for any nonsense. Tell her, Twinkle.”
“Let me catch my breath,” the older woman replied, fanning her face with her hand “The last time I saw a chest that intriguing I was—”
“Hush, everyone,” Tess demanded, heat staining its way up her neck and burning her cheeks. She’d never been so embarrassed in her life. This was even worse than when her father discovered her and Gabe making love in the Rolling R’s barn. Positive she didn’t want to hear Twinkle finish that sentence, she took the conversation in a different direction. “What’s happened? What about the quarantine? Andrew, why are you out of bed?”
“His fever broke about two this morning,” Gabe’s voice rumbled from beside her. “That’s when I decided to get some sleep.” He reached for the trousers tying at the end of the bed and said, “Ladies, consider this fair warning. I’m fixing to put on my pants.”
At that Jack Baker mimicked his wife’s actions and covered her eyes with his hands as Gabe rolled out of bed. Twinkle folded her arms, obviously impressed.
“Tess, who is this man?” Andrew scowled, his freckles glowing bright against a complexion paled by sickness.
Tess turned a pleading gaze toward Twinkle. “Edna?”
Twinkle grimaced Tess only used her real name when she lost all patience. “Rosie broke the quarantine, but Andrew didn’t figure it mattered because he was feeling so much better.” She tossed Andrew a chiding look and added, “Without knowing you had a guest—Andrew didn’t bother to tell us—we thought to let you sleep in. But then the trouble started.”
“Trouble? What trouble?”
“It’s bad business, Tess,” Colonel Wilhoit said. “You won’t be happy about this.”
Sheet clutched tightly to her chest, Tess reared up and demanded. “Explain.”
They all started talking at once, and Tess couldn’t make any sense out of their words. When Gabe put two fingers in his mouth and blew out a shrill, ear-piercing whistle, she tossed him a grateful glance. He said, “One at a time, please. Missus Twinkle, why don’t you start.”
Twinkle nodded, got distracted for a moment while he buttoned his pants, then said, “Rosie got into your star shed, Tess. She ate up last month’s log and made a general mess of things. Worst of all, I think she might have damaged your new telescope.”
Dismay blew through Tess like a dust storm. She’d ordered the telescope months ago, and it had been waiting for her in Eagle Gulch upon her return from Dallas. Busy nursing Andrew, she had yet to have the chance to cart it up to the observation post. “Oh, Rosie.”
“Don’t
“Where the hell was I supposed to sleep? With the pig? Sorry, darlin’, but the floor is hard and cold, and this bed is big enough for two. And besides…” He lowered his voice to a low, silky drawl. “According to you I’m still your husband. That gives me every right to be here.” His gaze dropped, made a deliberate, assessing journey that ended on her still-naked breasts. “That gives me rights, period.”
Yes , screamed her body.
No , hollered her good sense.
“I’m confused,” she admitted with a cry.
“I’m shocked,” came Andrew’s voice from the doorway.
With a yelp, Tess pushed Gabe off of her, yanked the sheet up to her chin, and stared in distress toward the crowd of people standing in the open doorway. “Andrew? Twinkle?”
“Us, too,” Amy Baker said, clapping her hands over her husband Jack’s eyes, her wedding ring flashing right along with her bright blue eyes. “And Colonel Jasper. I must say, I’m surprised at you, Tess.”
“Well, I’m impressed,” Twinkle said, fingering a dangling earring as her measured gaze swept over Gabe’s bare chest.
“What’s this all about?” Colonel Wilhoit demanded. His medals lifted as he filled his lungs with air. “We don’t have time for any nonsense. Tell her, Twinkle.”
“Let me catch my breath,” the older woman replied, fanning her face with her hand “The last time I saw a chest that intriguing I was—”
“Hush, everyone,” Tess demanded, heat staining its way up her neck and burning her cheeks. She’d never been so embarrassed in her life. This was even worse than when her father discovered her and Gabe making love in the Rolling R’s barn. Positive she didn’t want to hear Twinkle finish that sentence, she took the conversation in a different direction. “What’s happened? What about the quarantine? Andrew, why are you out of bed?”
“His fever broke about two this morning,” Gabe’s voice rumbled from beside her. “That’s when I decided to get some sleep.” He reached for the trousers tying at the end of the bed and said, “Ladies, consider this fair warning. I’m fixing to put on my pants.”
At that Jack Baker mimicked his wife’s actions and covered her eyes with his hands as Gabe rolled out of bed. Twinkle folded her arms, obviously impressed.
“Tess, who is this man?” Andrew scowled, his freckles glowing bright against a complexion paled by sickness.
Tess turned a pleading gaze toward Twinkle. “Edna?”
Twinkle grimaced Tess only used her real name when she lost all patience. “Rosie broke the quarantine, but Andrew didn’t figure it mattered because he was feeling so much better.” She tossed Andrew a chiding look and added, “Without knowing you had a guest—Andrew didn’t bother to tell us—we thought to let you sleep in. But then the trouble started.”
“Trouble? What trouble?”
“It’s bad business, Tess,” Colonel Wilhoit said. “You won’t be happy about this.”
Sheet clutched tightly to her chest, Tess reared up and demanded. “Explain.”
They all started talking at once, and Tess couldn’t make any sense out of their words. When Gabe put two fingers in his mouth and blew out a shrill, ear-piercing whistle, she tossed him a grateful glance. He said, “One at a time, please. Missus Twinkle, why don’t you start.”
Twinkle nodded, got distracted for a moment while he buttoned his pants, then said, “Rosie got into your star shed, Tess. She ate up last month’s log and made a general mess of things. Worst of all, I think she might have damaged your new telescope.”
Dismay blew through Tess like a dust storm. She’d ordered the telescope months ago, and it had been waiting for her in Eagle Gulch upon her return from Dallas. Busy nursing Andrew, she had yet to have the chance to cart it up to the observation post. “Oh, Rosie.”
“Don’t
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