Hawk's Way: Rebels (5 page)

“I hope so. It won’t help much to argue in court that I’ve got a wife to take care of my children, if my children hate her guts.”

“We have a more immediate problem,” Cherry said.

“What’s that?”

“Zach Whitelaw.”

“What about him?”

“He’s going to kill you on sight.”

Billy gave a relieved laugh. “Is that all? I thought it was something serious.”

“Don’t joke,” Cherry said. “This is serious. Three years ago a boy tried to force himself on Jewel at a Fourth of July picnic. I’ll never forget the look in Zach’s eyes when Jewel stood crying in his arms, her face bruised and her dress torn. He took a horsewhip to the boy and nearly flayed him alive. Both families kept it quiet, but you know how that sort of thing gets around. None of us girls has ever had any problems with boys since then.

“That’s why it surprised me when Ray… If Ray hadn’t been drunk, he would never have done what he did.”

“And we wouldn’t be where we are today,” Billy said. “I won’t let any man whip me, Cherry. If your father tries—”

“I’m only telling you all this so you’ll understand why I have to go home and explain all of this to him by myself. Once he understands I was willing and—”

Billy shook his head. “We go together, or you don’t go at all.”

“Zach’s going to be furious with me.”

“All the more reason for us to go together. You may have been his daughter yesterday, but you’re my wife today. No man is going to threaten my wife. Not even her father.”

Cherry stared wide-eyed at Billy. She supposed she should have told him that no matter how angry Zach got
with her, he would never raise a hand to her. In the past she had been sent to her room without supper, or been forced to spend a day alone thinking about the wisdom of a course of action. But the Whitelaws had always used reason, rather than force, to teach their children right from wrong.

Billy wouldn’t have to defend her, but she reveled in the thought that he was willing to do so. Of more concern to her was the possibility that the two men might provoke one another to violence. She already knew that Billy liked to fight. Zach would be more than willing to give him one.

“I’ll let you come with me on one condition,” she said.

“What’s that?”

“We bring the girls with us.”

Billy frowned. “What purpose would that serve?”

“Zach won’t be able to fight with you—or yell at me—if he’s busy meeting his new grandchildren.”

“Raejean and Annie don’t even like you. What makes you think they’ll take to your father?”

“Trust me. Zach Whitelaw could sell snow in Alaska. He’ll have Raejean and Annie eating out of his hand in no time. Besides, we have no choice but to take them with us. Mrs. Motherwell is gone.”

“I forgot about that,” Billy said as he headed toward the door that led upstairs. “Damn. All right. Let me go get them. We might as well get this meeting over with.”

“Billy,” Cherry called after him. When he stopped and turned to her, she said, “We can still call the whole thing off.”

He walked the few steps back to her and lifted her chin with his finger. “Buck up, kid. You’re doing great.”

Cherry felt tears prickle her eyes and blinked to keep them from forming.

Billy leaned down and kissed her mouth. His touch was gentle, intended to comfort. “I’m sorry, Cherry. I shouldn’t have left you here alone and driven away. It’s not easy to admit it, but I was scared.”

Cherry searched his eyes. If he had once been afraid, the fear was gone now. If he had regrets, he wasn’t letting her see them. She wished she knew him better as a person. Could she rely on him? Would he be there for her when the going got rough?

When he pulled her into his arms and hugged her, she felt safe and secure. She knew that was an illusion. Her father had made her feel safe, too. But they had been torn from each other. It was better not to try and make more of this relationship than it was.

Before she could edge herself away from Billy, the screen door was flung open. Billy threw her aside to confront whatever danger threatened them.

Zach Whitelaw stood in the doorway.

“D
ADDY, DON’T
!” Cherry cried as Zach took a step toward Billy, his hands tightened into angry knots.

Zach froze, his eyes wide with shock.

It took Cherry a second to realize she had called him “Daddy” instead of “Zach,” something she had never done before. She felt confused, unsure why she had blurted it out like that, especially now, when she wasn’t going to be his daughter anymore, but someone else’s wife.

“Please don’t fight,” she said.

“Stay out of this, Cherry,” Billy said, his hands curling into fists as menacing as Zach’s.

“How did you get here so quickly?” Cherry said to her father. “I just got off the phone with Jewel.”

“The police called me when they picked up Billy. A phony marriage license isn’t going to save you from me,” he snarled at Billy.

“We really are married,” Cherry said, taking a step to put herself between the two men. Temporarily, it kept them from throwing punches.

Zach snorted. “In a Las Vegas ceremony? That’s no kind of wedding.”

“It’s legal,” Billy said coldly.

There was nothing Zach could say to counter that except, “Come home, Cherry. I know the situation last
night must have upset you, but Rebecca and I want you to know we’re on your side. We believe there must be some reasonable explanation for what happened. We can fix this problem.”

“It’s too late for that. Billy and I are married. I’m staying with him.”

Zach glared at Billy. “You should be ashamed of yourself, taking advantage of a vulnerable child to—”

“She’s no child,” Billy said quietly. “She’s a woman. And my wife.” His hands slid around Cherry’s waist from behind, and he pulled her back against the length of his body.

Cherry saw the inference Zach drew from Billy’s words and actions that the two of them had done what husbands and wives do on their wedding night. By the time her father’s gaze skipped to her face, she bore a flush high on her cheekbones that seemed to confirm what he was thinking. There was no way she was going to admit the truth.

She saw the wounded look in Zach’s eyes before he hid it behind lowered lids.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you or Rebecca,” she forced past the lump in her throat.

“Why, Cherry?” he asked. “Why couldn’t you trust us to be on your side? I thought…”

They were good parents. They had done everything they could to make her feel loved and appreciated, safe and secure. But they expected her to believe parents could protect their children from the evils of the world. She knew from experience that simply wasn’t true. She could never trust them completely. She would never trust anybody that much again.

“I’m sorry, Zach.” She saw his gaze flicker at her reversion to the less familiar, less personal title. “Please tell Rebecca—”

Zach cut her off. “You explain this to your mother. I couldn’t find the words.” He turned and left as abruptly as he had come.

Cherry felt her nose burning, felt the tears threaten and fought them back. She had chosen to travel this road. She had no one to blame but herself for her predicament. Crying over spilled milk wasn’t going to accomplish anything.

“Thanks for sticking by me,” Billy said against her ear.

“I’m your wife.”

“Sometimes that doesn’t mean much when parents enter the picture,” Billy said bitterly.

Cherry turned in his embrace and put her arms around him to hug him, laying her cheek against his shoulder. “I’ll try to be a good wife, Billy.” She raised her face to his, only to find herself unexpectedly kissed.

There was as much desperation as there was hunger in Billy’s kiss. Something inside Cherry responded to both emotions, and she found herself kissing Billy back.

“Hey! What are you doing to my dad?”

Cherry pulled free of Billy’s grasp and turned to the child who had spoken. Behind her stood the other twin, her face less belligerent, more perplexed.

“Uh…” Cherry began. She had no idea where to go from there. She expected Billy to make some sort of explanation, but he gave her a helpless one-shouldered shrug. Cherry turned back to the twins and said to the
one who had spoken, “Your dad and I were kissing, Raejean. That’s what married people do.”

“I’m Annie,” Raejean said.

“I’m Raejean,” Annie dutifully added.

“Hey, you two,” Billy said. “What’s the big idea trying to fool Cherry?”

Raejean’s chin jutted. “I don’t know why you’re so mad, Daddy. She isn’t fooled at all.” She turned to Cherry, her brow furrowed. “How do you do that, anyway? No one but Mommy and Daddy has ever been able to tell us apart.”

Cherry said, “There’s nothing magic about it. You’re as different from your sister as night from day.”

“We’re twins,” Raejean protested. “We’re
exactly
alike.”

“You look alike on the outside,” Cherry conceded, “but inside here—” Cherry touched her head. “And here—” She touched her heart. “You’re very different.”

“I’m glad you can tell us apart,” Annie said. “I don’t like fooling people.”

“I don’t care if you can tell us apart,” Raejean said. “I’m not going to like you.”

“Isn’t it a little soon to make up your mind about that?” Cherry asked. “You hardly know me.”

“I know you want to be my mother. I don’t want another mother. My mother’s in heaven!” Raejean turned and headed for the stairs. She hadn’t gone very far before she realized Annie hadn’t automatically followed her. She turned and said, “Come on, Annie.”

Annie hesitated briefly before she turned and followed her sister.

Cherry whirled on Billy the instant they were gone.
“I can’t do this all by myself, Billy. You’re going to have to help.”

“You can’t blame them for being confused, Cherry. After all, the only woman they’ve ever seen me kissing is their mother.”

“Then maybe we shouldn’t let the girls see us kissing. Maybe you should keep your distance when they’re around.”

Billy thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. “I don’t want to do that for two reasons. Penelope would be sure to notice if we never touched each other. It would be a dead giveaway that there’s something fishy about our marriage.”

“And the second reason?”

“I don’t want my daughters to see me ignoring the woman they believe is my wife. It would give them the wrong impression of what marriage is all about.”

“I see.” What she saw was that Billy had all sorts of reasons for kissing and hugging her that had nothing whatsoever to do with actually loving her. But loving hadn’t been a part of their bargain. She had to remind herself of the rules of this game.
Help each other out. Don’t get involved. Don’t start to care.
That way lay heartache.

“All right, Billy,” Cherry said. “I’ll play along with you where the kissing and touching is concerned. So long as we both know it’s only an act, I suppose neither of us can be hurt. Now that we have that settled, I believe you need to get to town for those supplies, and I’d better get some lunch started.”

Cherry turned her back on Billy, but she hadn’t taken two steps toward the sink before his arms slid around her
from behind again, circling her waist. Her treacherous body melted against him. She forced herself to stiffen in his embrace. “Don’t, Billy,” she said in a quiet voice.

“You’re my wife, Cherry.”

“In name only,” Cherry reminded him. “We can pretend for everybody else, but I think it’s best if we’re honest with each other. We aren’t in love, Billy. We never will be.”

Billy’s hands dropped away, but he didn’t move. She felt the heat of his body along the entire length of her back. Her eyes slid closed, and she held herself rigid to keep from leaning back into his fiery warmth.

“If we’re being honest,” Billy said in a husky voice, “I think you should know I’m more than a little attracted to you, Cherry. I have been since the moment I first laid eyes on you.” Billy took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. “That’s the truth.”

She lifted her eyes to meet his. “That’s lust, Billy. Not love.”

His dark eyes narrowed, and his hands dropped away from her shoulders. “There’s nothing wrong with desiring your wife in bed.”

“I’m not your wi—”

“Dammit, Cherry!”

When Billy took a step back and shoved his hands into his jeans pockets, Cherry had the distinct impression he did it to keep himself from reaching for her again.

“You
are
my wife,” he said through gritted teeth. “Not forever. Not even for very long. But we most definitely are married. I suggest you start thinking that way!”

Before she could contradict him, he was gone, the screen door slamming behind him.

B
ILLY COULDN’T REMEMBER
a time when he had been more frustrated. Even when he had been arguing with Laura about whether or not she should try to get pregnant again when the doctor had advised her against it, he hadn’t felt so much like he was butting his head against a stone wall. Deep down, he knew Cherry was right. It would be better for both of them if he kept his distance from her.

He had made up his mind to try.

Of course, that was before he stepped into Cherry’s bedroom the morning after their wedding. He had expected her to be up and dressed, since he had helped her set the alarm for 5:30 a.m. the previous evening. Apparently, she had turned it off.

He found her sleeping beneath tousled sheets, one long, exquisite leg exposed all the way to her hip, one rosy nipple peeking at him, her lips slightly parted, her silky red curls spread across the pillow, waiting for a lover’s hands to gather them up.

He cleared his throat noisily, hoping that would be enough to wake her. All she did was roll over, rearranging the sheet, exposing an entire milky white breast.

He swallowed hard and averted his eyes. He sat down beside her, thinking maybe the dip in the mattress would make her aware of his presence.

She slept on.

His gaze returned to rest on her face. Close as he was, he could see the dark shadows under her eyes. She must not have slept very well. He could understand that.
He hadn’t slept too well himself. He had resorted to a desperate act—marriage—to solve one problem and had created a host of others in the process. Not the least of which was the fact he wanted to have carnal knowledge of his new wife.

He debated whether he ought to kiss her awake. But he wasn’t Prince Charming. And Sleeping Beauty had never had such a freckled face. Nevertheless, his body responded to the mere thought of pressing his lips against hers, of tasting the hot, sweet wetness of her mouth.

Billy swore viciously.

And Cherry woke with a start.

It took her a second to realize how exposed she was, and she grabbed at the sheet as she sat up and drew her knees to her chest. Her blue eyes were wide and wary. “What are you doing in here?”

“I came to wake you up. You overslept.”

She glanced at the clock, then dropped her forehead to her knees and groaned. “I must have turned off the alarm.”

“I figured as much when you didn’t show up in the kitchen. I’ve already had my breakfast. I left some coffee perking for you. The kids’ll be up in a little while. You probably have time for a quick shower.”

Thinking about her naked in the shower had about the same effect as contemplating kissing her. Billy needed to leave, but he was too aware of what Cherry would see if he stood right now. So he went right on sitting where he was.

Unfortunately, she now had the sheet flattened against herself, and he could see the darker outline of
her nipples beneath the soft cotton. He found that every bit as erotic as seeing her naked.

“Hell,” Billy muttered, shifting uncomfortably on the edge of the bed.

“What’s the matter?”

Billy’s lip curled wryly. “I’m not used to looking at a woman in bed without being able to touch.”

“Oh.” She clutched the sheet tighter, exposing the fact that her nipples had become hard nubs.

Billy bolted to his feet and saw her gaze lock on the bulge beneath his zipper. He froze where he was, his body aching, his mouth dry.

He watched her until she lifted her eyes to his face. Her pupils were enormous, her lips full, as though he had been kissing her. She was aroused, and he hadn’t even touched her.

“Tell me to go, Cherry.” He wanted to consume her in a hurry, like ice cream on a hot day. He wanted to take his time and sip at her slow and easy, like a cool mint julep on a lazy summer afternoon.

She licked her lips, and he felt his body harden like stone.

“The girls will be up soon,” Cherry reminded him. “I need to get dressed.”

Heaven help him, he had forgotten all about his daughters. He shoved a distracted hand through his hair and huffed out a breath of air. “I’ll be working on the range today. If you need anything…”

Cherry smiled. “Don’t worry about us, Billy. We’ll manage fine.”

“All right. So long.”

He was almost out the door when she called him back.

“Billy?”

He turned and found her standing beside the bed with the sheet draped around her in a way that revealed as much as it covered. “What?” he asked, his voice hoarse from the sudden rush of desire he felt.

“You didn’t kiss me goodbye.”

He shook his head. “I don’t think that would be a good idea, Cherry.”

Before he realized what she had in mind, she closed the few steps between them and lifted her face to him. “I thought a lot about our situation last night, when I couldn’t sleep,” she said earnestly. “And I realized that if we’re going to convince Mrs. Trask that this is a real marriage, we’re going to have to act as much like a happily married couple as possible.

“Zach always gives Rebecca a kiss goodbye in the morning.” She gave him a winsome smile. “So, pucker up, Mr. Stonecreek, and give me a kiss.”

She didn’t give him much of a choice. She raised herself on tiptoe and leaned forward and pressed her lips against his.

Billy gathered her in his arms and pulled her close as his mouth opened over hers, taking what he had denied himself only moments before. His hands slid down her naked back, shoving the sheet out of his way. Then he held her buttocks tight against his arousal with one hand while the other caught her nape and slid up to grasp a handful of her hair.