Moon Racer (33 page)

She heard a soft knock on the door and went to
answer it. Navidad stood on the porch, his hat in his
hand.

"Senorita Abby, Brent told me to take Moon
Racer to your new house."

"I hadn't thought of that. Thank you, Christmas."

"Senorita, I have looked after that horse. He
needs knowledgeable hands to see to his care."

"I know."

He looked down and then back up at her. "I
asked Senor Major Jonah if I could... if there
would be a place for me on his ranch. He said there
would be. He also told me to give you this letter
from him."

She smiled at him affectionately and kissed his
cheek, bringing a shine to his dark eyes. "I'm glad you are going with me. You were one of the people
I would have missed the most."

He nodded and backed away. "Have a happy,
good night's sleep, little senorita."

When Navidad left, Abby went back into the
parlor and unfolded the letter, held it under the
lamp, and began to read.

My dearest Abby,

I sit here in the ranch house alone, but I am not
lonely because I know you will be with me
tomorrow night, and for the rest of our lives.
Your gowns have been hung in the wardrobe
beside my uniforms, your shoes are arranged
beside mine, and I admit I go to the bedroom
to look at them several times a day. Good
night, my dearest love. Sleep well, knowing I
love you.

She held the letter to her breast and bit her lip to
keep from crying. "He loves me," she said softly.
"He loves me!"

Abby went to the portrait of her mother, wishing
she could have her wisdom tonight. She was going
into a life with the man she loved, and she would
have liked to share this moment with her mother.

She reached upward to the portrait, placing her
hand on her mother's hand. "I'm happy, Mama. I
wish you could know Jonah. I love him so muchand he loves me."

The day of the wedding dawned bright and clear,
without a cloud anywhere in sight.

The guests filled the parlor and watched the bride
join the groom. She was dressed in a simple white
gown, her hair pulled away from her face with her
mother's pearl clasps.

Jonah's hand was warm as the army chaplain
stood gravely before them, reciting the words that
would bind them together.

Jonah's eyes were on Abby's face, and he heard
her voice quaver as she promised to "love, honor
and obey."

As instructed, he slipped the ring on her finger.
Then he startled her and the wedding guests as he
pulled her to him and kissed her reverently.

The chaplain laughed softly. "Sir, I haven't
finished yet." To those gathered he said, "Course,
he outranks me, so I can't insist too much."

Jonah raised his head. "Go ahead, I just wanted to
kiss her while she was still single. That way I can
have another kiss later."

Everyone laughed. It was an unceremonious
event despite the high rank of the groom. Joy and
kinship filled the room, and everyone felt it.

The chaplain spoke loudly, and the laugh lines at
his eyes flared. "I now pronounce you man and
wife! You may now kiss the bride."

Jonah drew Abby into his arms. "Mrs. Tremain,
may I be the first man to kiss you since you
changed your name?"

Her arms went around him, and their lips molded
together. After a moment Abby would have pulled
away, aware of the others looking on, but Jonah
held her to him.

"I'm next in line," Brent said, pulling his sister
away from Jonah and putting his arms around her.
"Be happy, Abby-that's what I want for you."

She nestled against him, feeling almost sad that
she would no longer be under his care. "I am." She
met his gaze. "So very happy."

Next she went for Quince, and he hugged her
tightly. "I couldn't have let you go to a better man,
darlin'."

The family circle closed in on the newlyweds.
There were officers and their wives from Jonah's
command mingling with the cowhands from the
Half-Moon and Moon Racer ranches. The Fort
Fannin military band played softly for the reception,
and food and wine were plentiful.

Jonah was talking to Quince, and Abby looked
about her, thinking what a different turn her life had
taken. The people she loved most were in this room,
except for her father and Matt. But Jack Hunter
would always do what Jack Hunter wanted to do.
And Matt ... she wished with all her heart that he
could be with her on this day of all days. An ache
touched her heart, and she wondered if she would
ever see him again.

"I am going to take my wife to bed," Jonah told
Quince. "I'm leaving you here as host. I assume
you can move all these people out of my house."

Quince grinned. "Yeah, I can do that. I don't
have to tell you to be good to my sister. I know the
kind of man you are, so I'm not worried about her.
But Abby is different from most women;
sometimes you have to-"

"Treat her like a blooded mare and gentle her
down?"

"Yeah. Something like that," Quince answered,
looking relieved that Jonah understood Abby so well.

Abby was talking to Glory and a very pregnant
Crystal. "You are going into a new life, Abby,"
Crystal told her. "I want you to be as happy with
Jonah as I am with Brent."

She kissed Crystal's cheek. "I'm sure I will be."

Glory hugged her. "If ever I saw a man in love,
it's your major. Take care of him. I know he is
going to take care of you."

"Sisters-in-law," Jonah said, sliding his arms
around both of them, "if you will excuse my wife
and me, we are leaving this party. As family
members, I hope you will help Quince get everyone
out of here."

His eyes were dancing with humor until he
looked at Abby, and then they gleamed with
something akin to worship.

Abby did not object as Jonah waved good-night
to everyone and led her out of the room, down the
long hallway, and into their bedroom.

She turned to him as soon as the door closed
behind them. "Jonah."

"You are mine now." His gaze went over her
slowly, sensuously. She was so beautiful he could
only stare at her. He had watched her emerge like a
butterfly from a cocoon. She was delicate, her skin
soft like satin, and she was his.

"I love you," she whispered, hardly able to
breathe because of the way he was looking at her.

"I have been waiting a long time to hear you say
that." He unbuckled the ceremonial sword at his
waist, tossed it on a chair, untied the red sash at his
waist, and let it drop to the floor, all the while
watching her.

She stepped forward and unbuttoned the brass
buttons on his jacket, and his arms eased around
her.

"I want you," he told her. "All the while I was
being polite to our guests tonight, all I wanted was
to have you naked in my arms."

She shivered as his breath stirred the curls at her
neck. "That's what I wanted too."

"Did you now?" He smiled enigmatically,
unfastening and unhooking her garments until they
had all been stripped away. "If I recall, you once
told me you would never let a man order your life."

She stared into his eyes, suddenly serious. "I have
just promised that I will allow you to order my life."

"Yes. You did." He grinned. "But the Abby I
know has a mind of her own. I think that is what I
first fell in love with."

She gave him a look of pretend shock. "You fell
in love with my mind?"

"Well," he said, arching his brow, "there were
other considerations, too."

His hand went to her neck, and he brought her
head forward, his lips touching hers, probing for
entrance into her mouth, which she granted, the feel
reminding her of another invasion to a different part
of her body. She went weak against him, and he
lifted her in his arms.

"Since the first time I had you, I knew I would
never be whole until I had you again."

His eyes were deep, deep blue, the bluest she had
ever seen them.

"Make me whole, Abby."

The breath was trapped in her throat as he placed
her on the bed and stood over her while he removed
his clothing, his heated gaze touching on every part
of her nakedness.

He was magnificent! He was lean and tall, his
body beautiful. She reached forward, her hand
sliding across the black hair on his chest. When she
saw the swell of him, she pulled him down to her.
His body pressed her into the mattress.

This was her husband, to love, to walk beside, to
hold and to take into her body. Her heart was too
full and beating too fast for her to speak when he
touched his lips to her breasts.

"Ohhh," she moaned. "Mmmm." He was doing
such wonderful things-his mouth moved over her,
creating sensations that surprised her.

She arched her body flirtatiously, invitingly, and
it was enough to draw him to her to give her what
she ached for.

He glided slowly inside her, staring into her eyes,
watching her lashes drift downward. She closed
around him, soft and warm, and his body caught
and held her trembling.

Soft words were spoken as the night shadows
crept into the room. Heated passions were satisfied,
only to rise again and provide the same joy and
fulfillment.

Abby quaked in his arms, and he held her,
thrusting deep until tremors shook him.

Afterward, when they were lying in each other's
arms, her hand drifted over his chest.

"It is so good between us, Abby."

"Yes."

She traced his nose and then his lips and
suddenly pulled back and giggled. "I wonder if our
guests have gone?"

"I trust Quince got them out the door."

He gently stroked her breasts. She offered him
her mouth, and he took it she offered him her
body, and he took it. She rolled on top of him, and
his hands slid down her back.

He suddenly frowned. "There is one thing I want
you to obey me in, Abby."

"What is that?"

"Promise me you will never attempt to break a
wild horse again."

She traced the frown lines on his forehead with a
delicate finger. Then she smiled and saluted. "Yes,
sir, Major, sir. I promise."

He seemed to relax. Abby was like a whirlwind
or a tornado, and he never knew what she would do
next. But he didn't want to change her; it was her
difference from other women that had won his
heart.

"Am I in the cavalry now that I'm the
commander's wife?" she asked innocently.

He slid into her warmth and smiled tantalizingly
as he watched her eyes drift shut. "No, sweet
Abby-the cavalry is in you."

Later they lay intertwined with an occasional kiss
or a soft stroke of a hand, a murmured endearment.

"Frances once told me," she said, "that I would
one day meet the man I would want to change for,
and she was right."

He tucked her into his arms and rested his chin on
the top of her head. "What else did Frances say in
her wisdom?"

"She compared men to horses. It went something
like, if I fed and watered a man and gave him a
rubdown, he would give me his affection."

"Mmm." His fingers slid downward across her
stomach and into her warmth, bringing a gasp from
her. "I like Frances's reasoning-she is a wise
woman."

Sometime just before dawn the lovers had fallen
asleep. They had made love and found out little
things about each other. They had talked about the
future and put the past to rest.

The sun had been up for some hours when there
was a loud banging on the bedroom door.

Jonah stirred, and Abby sat up. Sleepily, she
exchanged a puzzled glance with him.

Frances's voice boomed through the door. "It's
after the noon hour. If you want to eat, food's on the
table."

Abby got out of bed and slipped into her robe. "I
didn't know she was going to be here."

"Neither did I," he said, pulling the sheet over his
naked body and following her to the door.

Abby opened the door and came face-to-face
with the housekeeper. "Frances, what are you doing
here?"

"I moved into the room next to the kitchen, 'cause I decided you're gonna need me. And if the
two of you have a daughter-and lord help us all if
she's anything like you-you'll be needing me to
use a firm hand with her."

Abby could hear Jonah's laughter behind her.
"Frances," he said smoothly, "you are right about
that."

Abby took the housekeeper's hand in hers. "I
would have been lost without you. I'm glad you are
going to live with us."

Jonah poked his head around the door. "We need
someone to run things around here."

"Humph." Frances stalked off, but Abby saw the
smile on her face.

She closed the door and leaned against it. "Do
you mind her moving in?"

"Not if it makes you happy. Besides, I like
Frances." He pulled Abby to him and pushed the
robe off her shoulders. "But she must learn to keep
the food warm when I want you in my bed."

She laughed and leaped into his arms. "If you are
able to handle Frances, you are better than I am."

"Not me," he said. "She scares the hell out of me."
He was tantalized by the rosy nipple that drew his
attention. "I should have known the day you took
that dog home with you that you attracted strays. It
seems everyone wants to be where you are. Sergeant
MacDougall indicated he would like to join us here when his stint is over." He covered her breast with
his hand and smiled. "Can you imagine what
MacDougall and Frances will do to our lives?"

"I'm more interested in what you are going to do
to me right now." "Sweet Abby, am I one of your
strays, too?" "No." Her green gaze mesmerized
him. "You are my love."

He eased down onto the bed with her in his lap
and kissed her. They both sank backward into the
softness of the mattress.