Mistaken Outlaw Read online

  “Eat up, Miss Jessie. There is no one here that means you harm. You are safe.” It tore at his heart to hear her sniffle suddenly and look away. He finished his stew and moved towards the trunk that sat at the foot of his bed. That is where he’d stored Sarah’s things. It had seemed so final to put them away and he was glad that there would be a use for them again. It pained him momentarily, feeling the twinge of loss yet again, but there was a need. It wouldn’t be Sarah’s glowing smile, but rather it would help aid this lady. Pulling out a few day dresses and underthings, he walked back over to where Jessie sat. He draped the dresses on the back of the chair and moved to see if there were some shoes that might fit as well.

  “Whose are these?” he heard Jessie ask softly.

  “My wife died about a year ago. They were hers.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Me, too, honestly. She had a beautiful heart and I miss her. Do you have someone waiting for you?” It felt good to admit that he missed Sarah. He didn’t often get to talk about her and it had been so long since he had company. She was gone, but the memory of her smile was still there in his heart.

  “No,” she told him quickly. There was a hard edge to her voice that surprised him.

  “Maybe someday then, eh?” he said lightly, changing the subject and standing up. “These should fit. They are close to the same size as your boots.”

  “Thank you,” she repeated.

  “Of course,” Jason replied easily, making himself busy with picking up so that way she could finish eating in peace instead of watching him like a scared rabbit. He yanked the covers off the bed and turned over the straw mattress. The bed had gotten wet where her frozen clothing had thawed. That was okay, he thought. It would dry and be fine.

  “I can do that,” she offered quietly behind him, surprising him. He glanced over his shoulder to see her watching. She stood with the quilt still wrapped around her, looking almost earnest.

  “No, you should rest. Sit down, please.”

  “I don’t have any place to go,” she told him quickly, a quiver to her voice.

  “Who said you had to leave?” he asked, surprised. “Rest, Jessie. I’ve got this.”

  “You are being so nice to me,” Jessie admitted, her face confused. Had she never had anyone be kind to her? Treat her decently? “I’d like to help or earn my keep.”

  “We can talk about that later. Why don’t you take those dresses and try them on just behind the pantry door? It will give you a bit of privacy. Take a lantern with you, so you can see what you are doing, okay?”

  He watched her walk towards the pantry and suddenly look over her shoulder at him, frightened. Standing straight up, he restrained the urge to cross his arms in frustration. She was troubled and he would need to be patient with her.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “If I change and the shoes you have loaned me fit, do you want me to go?”

  “Do you want to?” he asked simply, watching her face.

  “I would prefer to stay right now.”

  “Then stay. One condition though,” he said with an easy smile. Jason watched her wary gaze suddenly turn hard. “If I am to have company in my house, perhaps we could talk a bit more. Do you like to play checkers?”

  “No,” she said carefully. Her eyes showed surprise at the simple question. She was intrigued at the thought of playing a game. “But I am a quick learner, if you’ll teach me.”

  “Sounds like a plan. You change, and I will set up the game. Would you like hot tea as well? Couldn’t hurt to warm you up a bit more.”

  “Yes, please.”

  Jason turned away to cover his smile. Maybe she was just shy and scared. If she had no place to go, then he’d offer to help out until it warmed up or he could, perhaps, help her find a more reputable place to stay. He knew he was playing with fire having a young lady stay with him, a widower, but she seemed so frightened of everything.

  Putting the kettle on to boil, he heard the pantry door open and close. Looking up, he could not hide the surprise on his face. The gown fit her perfectly. It accentuated her diminutive figure and made her look almost like she’d stepped from a catalog. Her long, dark hair hung free and he noticed that she seemed pleased as she gave a shy smile and tucked her hair behind her ear.

  “It fits very well, don’t you think?”

  “It’s perfect,” Jason breathed and looked away, staring down at the kettle. She was more beautiful than he’d realized. Sarah had been golden, radiant and friendly. This woman’s dark eyes and hair made him think of thick, rich chocolate. Decadent, alluring, addictive… yet she seemed so innocent at the same time.

  “Have a seat and I will explain the game,” he said quickly, making himself busy as he tried to calm himself. His heart was racing and he hadn’t felt such a yearning since Sarah had smiled at him for the very first time. Gathering up two cups, he poured for both of them and took his seat directly opposite of her. Glancing up, he swallowed hard. Her face looked almost eager as she glanced down at the board game, picking up a small wooden disc between her fingertips.

  “That’s a checker. We’ll take turns moving one piece at a time. You can only go diagonally and if the space is open on the other side of my checker, you can jump it.”

  “What if its blocked?”

  “Then you can’t move there. Here, let me show you.” Jason slid his checker forward one place. “Now, you move one.” Jessie slid a checker forward and he grinned, picking up his checker. “This is what I meant. I am going to jump over your checker and you’ll lose that piece.”

  “What?” she exclaimed, looking shocked and outraged. Her eyes locked with his and his smile widened.

  “What? That is how the game is played. I am showing you what you can do to move your pieces. Now, you have the chance to do the same and make me lose a piece, if you can…” he said slyly with a grin. “I am pretty competitive.”

  “Well, get ready to lose,” she retorted and then instantly flushed, embarrassed. “I am not going to lose the game. But if I do, it’s because this was a practice run.”

  “So, you have a competitive streak, too?”

  “A mile wide,” she admitted and watched him carefully. He surmised that she was looking for any signs of condemnation or anger. He honestly had none and eagerly anticipated the idea of a challenging game.

  “Game on then, Jessie,” he concurred, chuckling. He watched as she picked up the piece and stared at the board. She set it down and frowned as he pushed his checker into place in front of her. This blocked her checker and forced her into a trap. He watched her face as she stared at the board silently. He could see her mind was racing and she was moving the pieces in her mind’s eye. She slid a piece on the far side of the board forward, biting her lip. He picked up the piece and took her checker yet again.

  Jason’s smile fell when she picked up her piece quickly and jumped his.

  “I can do a second one, too, right? Am I limited?” she asked triumphantly and moved her piece forward again, taking two chips off the board.

  “Yes, you can. I take it you don’t need any more time to learn if you’ve done that, do you?”

  “Nope. As long as those are all the rules I need to know, then I am good.”

  “You can’t move your checker backwards.”

  Nodding, she waved her hand, encouraging him to hurry and make a move. Jessie apparently really liked the board game and thought she was going to beat him.

  “Care to make this interesting?”

  “How?”

  “Winner cooks dinner tomorrow,” Jason wagered. “Loser cleans up the plates.”

  “Deal! I hate doing the dishes.”

  Jason laughed aloud. It was honest and open, and the first time she’d revealed anything about herself. Picking up his checker, he moved it. “What do you like?”

  “Apparently checkers,” she answered easily and took another piece off the board.

  “Winning and gloating, too?” he said sourly, raising an eyebrow and pushing his glasses up on his nose. This was going to be harder than he thought. This time, it was Jessie who giggled, slapping a hand over her mouth. “No, go ahead and enjoy this because if I lose, we are playing the best two out of three games!”

  “Don’t be bitter,” she choked out, laughing. “Someone has to lose.”

  “This someone is a sore loser,” he teased, pointing at himself.

  She made a false moue with a devilish look in her eyes. “There, there!” she teased and patted his hand mockingly, freezing him in place. Her hand rested momentarily and he stared at it, then stared at her. Her brown eyes were wide, telling him that she felt the spark that he did at their touch. Then her slim fingers slid off his hand, almost regretfully and fell back into her lap.

  “Do you want to restart the game?” he asked quietly, his voice barely recognizable.

  “No. I don’t plan on losing.”

  “One of us has to,” he reminded her, staring at her brown eyes.

  “Maybe if we agree that it’s just a game, then neither of us will feel like they lost.”

  Jason slid his hand forward a bit on the table towards her. “Or we can keep moving our pieces and see where it goes.” He felt a surge of happiness as her hand silently came back up and lay on the table near his. As he looked at her, he realized it was a silent battle of wills. She’d made a move but wouldn’t finish it. She expected him to and he could see it in her eyes.

  “It’s your move,” she whispered.

  “So, it is.”

  Jason did something he’d never done before. He stood up and leaned forward over the small table to kiss her. He had always been the reticent type. Sarah had made the first move towards him, chatting with him that day. If she hadn’t, he would have never thought that
she liked him. This time, he wasn’t going to let his fear and uncertainty slip through his fingers. His hands splayed on the wooden top of the table as he leaned forward and locked his arms. He ducked his head and hesitated only a second before he lightly kissed Jessie.

  He felt the hitch in her breath and broke the kiss, thinking he’d made a mistake. Then he leaned back and took his seat again. Her brown eyes were tender as she gazed at him. Jessie’s hand suddenly touched his.

  “Let’s finish the game and see who wins,” she whispered shyly, looking at him. He felt himself incredibly humbled by the look in her eyes. He felt invincible in that single innocent kiss they shared.

  “Heck, I think I just did.”

  3

  Jessie had been surprised that Jason leaned over to kiss her. He was an extremely handsome man but very shy. She’d noticed his glances and how he looked away. Back in Matamoros, she’d watched the cowboys and vaqueros ride through town, making the marriageable women swoon with admiration. She never imagined that she’d feel that way about a perfect stranger in glasses.

  They played checkers long into the night. She felt so comfortable with him, like it was effortless to talk with him. She’d been so nervous that he would bring back the law or send her into the streets with only the clothes on her back. That was what Bill had done, how could she not anticipate that? But no! Jason had welcomed her into his home and treated her like she belonged. He didn’t push and seemed to be able to tell when he’d gone too far in asking her something. If he did, he backed off right away thus giving her space. She was a stranger to him. She’d not even shared what her last name was, but that didn’t seem to matter. He was just so pleasant to be around, and it amazed her.

  Even now as she turned in, Jason had told her to take the only bed. If it had been Bill, he’d have harassed her to sleep with him or made her feel worthless that she was less of a woman by refusing him. He shamed her for wanting to save herself for marriage. Jason took a blanket and made a pallet on the floor without question.

  “You can sleep in your bed,” she said quickly as he began to lie down. The shocked look on his face and the blush that crept up his neck made her realize how he took her words. “I meant that I will sleep on the pallet and you can have your bed.” He opened his mouth to say something and had to clear his throat, coughing. Jessie grinned at his embarrassment.

  “You are really shy, aren’t you?”

  “You’re a bit braver than I am, I will admit.”

  “It’s okay,” she admitted with a smile. “I like it. Shy isn’t a bad thing.”

  “Thank you, I think.” He lay down on the pallet without another word. She felt extremely guilty for taking the bed. He looked uncomfortable and she was concerned he’d be cold if there was a draft between the floorboards of the house. Picking up a blanket on the end of the bed, she walked towards him.

  “I meant it, take your bed.”

  “I will do no such thing.”

  “It’s yours.”

  “Ladies do not sleep on the floor. Get in the bed, Jessie, and rest.”

  “Are you certain?”

  “Positive. I would never have you sleep here.”

  She nodded, feeling her throat thicken at the way he treated her so kindly. He was truly a good man and she’d been blessed to hide in his barn of all places. Silently, she shook out the blanket and lay it over him. She was pretty positive that she’d surprised him as he looked up at her and smiled.

  “Goodnight. You are on dish duty tomorrow,” he teased, taking off his glasses and setting them beside his head.

  “I am pretty sure you lost,” she countered, climbing into the bed and pulling the quilt up to her neck.

  “No, I really don’t think so,” she heard him whisper, admiringly. She shut her eyes as he turned down the oil lamp, darkening the house. She was warm, fed, free and happy. How had she been so lucky? She drifted off to sleep thinking of that fragile kiss they’d shared.

  “No! No!” Jessie screamed out, thrashing about as she fought the terror of a nightmare. She could feel the rough rope around her neck and smell the torches burning as she struggled with all her might to free herself. Looking around, she saw faceless people surrounding her. Laughing, taunting, jeering her.

  “Thief!”

  “You’ll hang!”

  “String her up!”

  “We don’t cotton to no horse thieves.”

  Glancing down in the dream, she saw her boots were standing on an extremely tall table. It looked exactly like the table they’d played checkers on last night. But how could that be? The wind pushed it, tipping it ever so slightly and would slam it back down into place, letting her breathe for a few moments longer.

  “You’ll hang, little girlie.”

  “Nothing you can do about it.”

  “You’ll meet your maker, thief!”

  “No! I swear I am innocent!” she struggled to scream out, but the laughter got even louder. Their hands pushing and tugging at her skirts. “Get away!”

  “Jessie? Jessie?” She felt firm hands grasp her shoulders, shaking her. “Jessie!” Her eyes flying open, she mindlessly saw a dark figure next to her and struggled even harder. She pulled desperately at the arms as she bucked up off the bed, bodily.

  “Jessie, stop it! I won’t hurt you!” Jason shouted at her and yanked her into his arms to keep her from slapping at him. His warm arms wrapped around her, instantly bringing her out of her nightmare. “Shhhh. You’re safe.”

  “I had such a terrible dream.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked her, his hand stroking her hair as her head lay on his shoulder.

  “I can’t,” she breathed, shakily. Her throat was thick with unshed tears that made their way forward, spilling onto Jason’s shirt he’d slept in.

  “That isn’t a yes or a no. Can’t means that you can but won’t. Let me help you. Sometimes talking about it makes it less real.”

  “I can’t. I just can’t.”

  “I understand. Don’t be afraid,” he urged softly. “But if you ever do need to talk, I’d be happy to listen.”

  “I appreciate that,” she said honestly and lifted her head to wipe her eyes. His eyes looked almost black in the moonlight that streamed through the window, illuminating his face. She could see the tenderness, the worry and concern he felt seeing her upset. “Why are you so kind to me?” she whispered.

  “Jessie,” he murmured, smoothing her hair back from her face and cupping her chin. His thumb caressed her cheek. “It’s so easy and feels so right. I can’t seem to help myself.” His voice seemed to be just as surprised as she was by the tenderness of his words and his actions. He leaned down and kissed her. This time, it appeared he was savoring the moment. He gave a slight sigh of contentment as their lips touched a second time. His lips gently touched hers again, urging her response as he deepened the kiss.

  It took everything she had to pull back and lean away from him. Her breath came in ragged, shallow pants. “We shouldn’t,” she gasped.

  “You’re right,” he said, moving quickly away from her to the end of the bed. “My apologies. I was a bit overcome.”

  “It’s my fault. If I wasn’t such a ninny.”

  “You aren’t. You seem so brave and strong.”

  “You don’t know me…” she countered, surprised by his words.

  “I am starting to recognize parts of you, your personality. I find that they are quite beautiful,” he admitted, stunning her. She could see that dark flush creep up his neck and realized that he’d answered honestly and truthfully, even if he was nervous about saying so aloud.

  “I like you as well, but I am frightened and not prepared.”

  “I am not asking for anything,” he stammered, edging back further as he sat on the edge of the bed. This made her let out a little giggle at his paranoid look. Clearing his throat and pulling on his collar nervously, he continued, “Actually, I think I will ask. I want you to trust me and realize that I am here to help you. If you need an ear to listen or a friend to talk to, I believe I might just want to be that person.”

  “I appreciate that.”