The Lawman's Agreement (Entangled Scandalous) (9 page)

Zack reached for the rest of his discarded clothes and boots and left the room, leaving Suzanne alone to think. Unfortunately, her mind wasn’t functioning with its usual efficiency. She couldn’t think, at least not without remembering.

At the moment, all she could do was feel.

Chapter Eleven

Zack reached for his gun and holster and strapped them into place. He’d spent the past hour and a half sequestered in his cramped room at the boarding house thinking about what had happened between him and Suzanne.

Their lovemaking had far surpassed wonderful. If anything, it was probably the hottest, most explosive he’d ever experienced. What concerned him was Suzanne’s complete change of demeanor afterward, as if regret had set in even quicker than the original desire.

He’d had other women, many of them in fact, but none had been as openly assertive as Suzanne. None had affected him, excited him, half as quickly. Were it not for their obligations, as Suzanne had put it, he’d have eagerly insisted on staying longer, of perhaps enjoying another round of uninhibited lovemaking.

Zack stepped out onto the street and turned toward the jail. No doubt his deputies were already rehearsing their jokes at his expense.

“Good morning, Miss Kristine,” Zack said as he met up with the nurse on his short walk into town.

“Good morning, Marshal. That was one spectacular birthing last night wasn’t it?”

“Yes, even for the three of us not in the operating room. I’d guess those of you present during the event found it even more impressive.”

“I’ve been a nurse for nearly ten years and a midwife before that. Nothing prepares you though for an emergency such as the one that baby faced last night. In days past, if the cord was all tangled like that around the baby’s throat, he would have likely died. When Dr. Martindale put her mouth over his and breathed air into his lungs, we all stood there in wonder, praying he would start breathing on his own.”

Zack’s heart clenched, a sense of pride in the woman he’d claimed to be his own welling up inside his chest.

“Are you on your way to work now?” he asked.

“Yes, Sara went in early to relieve the night nurse. I’m on my way to take the second part of Sara’s day. We were both up so late last night Dr. Martindale didn’t think it fair for us to work a full day.”

“I’m sure the doctor will be along shortly as well,” he said.

“No doubt she’s already there and probably five patients into clinic hours. I’ve never seen a doctor so committed to her job as Dr. Martindale.”

Although he didn’t say so, Zack agreed with Kristine’s assessment. They’d reached the beginning of the wooden walkway leading to the clinic and hospital. Zack held out his hand to help Kristine up onto the sidewalk. “Say hello to everyone for me when you get there. And, let Jake and Felicity know I’ll be over later.”

“Will do, Marshal,” Kristine said. “It was nice walking with you.”

Zack reviewed the overnight report and signed off on it before filing the paperwork in his desk drawer. As foolhardy as it seemed, at that moment Zack would have welcomed a diversion, even if it came with a bit of fisticuffs or non-lethal gun play. Anything to take his mind off of Suzanne Martindale’s creamy skin and long, silky legs.

At half-past six, Zack realized there was nothing left for him to do. Not one altercation, no peace disturbance, nothing but reading and re-reading old wanted posters and updating the status of the fugitives on the big board that hung along one wall of the office.

“I’m calling it a night and heading over to the hospital for a visit,” Zack said. He pinned his deputy with a look that dared the man to comment.

“Say howdy to your cousin and his wife for me,” Pete Bailey said. “I’m guessing they’re pretty proud of that new youngun.”

“Thank you,” Zack said, grateful Pete had held his quips yet again. “I’ll give them your regards.”

The walk to the hospital was uneventful. He passed at least half-dozen townspeople and exchanged small talk with a few. The closer he came to the possibility of seeing Suzanne, the more on edge he became.

“Idiot,” he said beneath his breath. There was nothing to be worried about, he told himself. They were two people in need of some physical and emotional comfort who had acted naturally on those instincts, nothing wrong with that. Why then did he feel as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs?

Zack let himself in through the front door of the hospital and headed straight toward the women’s ward, anxious to see Jake, Felicity and the baby.

“It’s about time you got yourself over here, Zackary McCade,” Virginia scolded gently.

Zack leaned over and pressed a kiss to his aunt’s cheek. “Sorry, Aunt Ginnie, I had paperwork to attend to.” He looked down at the bundle Virginia held in her arms, and she spread the blanket open to show off the sleeping baby.

Zack moved to the side of the bed and bent to give Felicity a kiss as well. “You do good work,
cher
, despite my cousin’s input on the matter.”

“Hey,” Jake grumbled from where he stood near the window. “I’ll have you know that boy is all McCade right down to his—“

“Jackson!” Aunt Ginnie interrupted. “You boys need to save that kind of talk for the poker room.”

“Toes, Aunt Ginnie,” Jake said, laughing. “I was going to say toes.”

“If you’re here to escort Suzanne home,” Felicity said, “you missed her. She left about a half hour ago.”

“We hadn’t planned on my taking her home,” Zack said. “I’m here to see you, Aunt Ginnie, and the baby. Oh, and my rascally cousin too.”

“Really? I could have sworn each time Suzanne went to the window she was watching for you.” Felicity met his gaze and smiled.

“Unlikely,” Zack said. “She was probably keeping an eye on the clinic to see if she had any patients walk in unexpectedly.”

Felicity laughed softly. “If you say so, although it might be kind of difficult to see the front of the clinic from that window. All it faces is the saloon and the jail.”

…

Suzanne set aside her cup of tea, too frazzled to enjoy the rich chamomile blend. She couldn’t help but wonder what Zack had done all day in order to stay at arm’s length. She’d seen him through the window, twice, and had hoped he would turn toward the hospital and come for a visit, even if only to see Felicity and baby Chance. Each time, he’d looked in the right direction but had turned and gone back into his office.

As she’d done at least a dozen times during the course of the day, she thought back about their lovemaking, the very memory making her tremble. Zack had eagerly met her every move and had returned her advances with strength, skill, and excitement. She’d not had many lovers, but the few she’d been with had not been nearly as adept as Zack.

Suzanne bit her lip, silently admonishing herself for thinking of something so sexually fulfilling, so perfect, in purely clinical terms. It was habit. She recognized her own limitations, her own desire to stay unencumbered of emotion and look at their time together for what it was…a much needed physical and emotional release.

At first she’d worried that he’d been put off by her eagerness. Yet once they’d begun, he’d been as excited, as bold, as she. Unfortunately, as enjoyable as it was, she worried their one night together would put a pall on their relationship. What if, because of her intense need for physical contact, Zack saw it as breaking their original agreement? What if, because she’d wanted him so badly, that after all their efforts to begin their well-planned ruse, they ended up breaking off their fake engagement as quickly as it had begun?

Suzanne stared down at her bare hand. If they ended up calling off their engagement, how would she ever explain the fact that she’d lost her engagement ring?

Suzanne entered the woman’s ward of the hospital and lifted Felicity’s chart in her hands. Four days had passed since the night of the harrowing delivery, and both mother and baby were progressing even better than she’d hoped.

“Enough lollygagging around in this hospital bed,” Suzanne said. “It’s time for you two to head on home.” She smiled down at Felicity and baby Chance, and then raised her gaze to meet the new father’s. “Jake, if you wouldn’t mind getting Chance settled in for his trip home, I’d like a few minutes for one last exam of Felicity’s stitches.”

Jake laid the baby in his basket and lifted him from the bed. “I’ll be right outside whenever you’re ready to go,” he said.

Once the door had closed behind him, Felicity breathed a long, deep sigh. “Finally. It’s been one visitor after another for four days. If I weren’t already exhausted from the delivery and nursing, the well-meaning company would have done me in for sure.”

“You should have said something. I could have placed orders to limit the visiting hours,” Suzanne suggested.

Felicity shook her head. “It wasn’t as much the string of people as it was the fact you and I have barely had a minute alone.”

Concern for her patient, her friend, was paramount. “I’m sorry if it seems like I’ve neglected you. Did you have questions?”

“No, silly, you haven’t neglected me at all. And, the only question I have is, what’s going on with you and Zack? I haven’t seen the two of you together since the night Chance was born.”

“We’ve been busy, that’s all. I’ve had my patients, yourself included, and he’s had his…his…”

“His what? I don’t recall any news about an outbreak of bank robbing.”

“He’s just busy, that’s all.”

“Have the two of you called off this unusual arrangement of yours?”

Rather than remain standing, Suzanne took a seat next to Felicity on the edge of the bed. “No, we’ve not called anything off as yet.”

“Then why aren’t you wearing the ring?”

Suzanne rubbed her fingertips over where the ring should be. “It’s complicated.”

“Oh, my,” Felicity said, the two simple words catching on a gasp of surprise. “You two have been together, haven’t you? You’ve made love.”

“Whatever gave you that idea?”

“If I’ve learned anything over the past year of my marriage, there are only two types of complications between a man and a woman. Either they’re making love, or they’re not.”

Suzanne shook her head in the negative, but then admitted. “Yes, we made love. Once. It was…” her words stalled on a long sigh. “It was wonderful. Yet, it broke our agreement and I’m not sure how to get past it.”

“And so, for that reason, you took off your ring?”

Suzanne met Felicity’s gaze and a single warm tear ran down her cheek. “I didn’t exactly take it off. I lost it.”

“You lost it? How? When?”

“Well, I suppose I did take it off, but not for the reason you were thinking. I removed it just before the delivery. I put it in a small cup on the shelf above the sink. In the excitement of the evening, I forgot to go back and get it. When I came in the next day, the cup was gone and so was the ring.” Suzanne stood and helped Felicity to her feet. “Enough about me and my forgetfulness. It’s time for you and your new baby to go home.”

“I thought you wanted to check my stitches.”

Suzanne shook her head. “No, I checked them earlier this morning and they were fine. I just wanted these few minutes alone with my favorite patient.”

“I’m glad we talked,” Felicity admitted. “Now you and Zack need to talk and resolve whatever issues you have about what happened.”

“It’s not just that,” Suzanne said. She plucked at the apron covering her shirtwaist, and ran the cotton edge through her fingers. “We also have our reputations to think about. This isn’t New York, or even New Orleans. This is a small town filled with people who thrive on gossip.”

“No doubt,” Felicity agreed. “However, you also have to be true to yourself. And, as for the ring, I know Zack won’t be the least bit concerned over the fact that you lost it.”

“I suppose you’re right. Perhaps, tonight, I won’t run out of here so early. Maybe, with any luck, I’ll have an escort home.”

Suzanne took a seat behind her desk in the clinic office and waited. She’d purposely left the lamp on in the waiting room to see if the light would attract a certain lawman’s attention. At half-past six, her tactic was rewarded.

The bell on the door chimed, the melodic tone followed by Zack’s deep call. “Suzanne, are you still here?”

“I’m in the office if you’d like to come back.”

Suzanne stood and brushed the wrinkles from her simple cotton shirtwaist. Nervously, she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. When she raised her gaze, Zack was standing in the doorway, his hands braced on each side of the frame.

“You’re working late for a change,” he said.

“I had paperwork.” She sighed. “And I was waiting for you.”

“I’m sorry,” Zack said.

“I’m sorry.” Suzanne’s apology collided with Zack’s.

“I should have come by sooner,” he told her. “I wasn’t sure you wanted me to.”

Suzanne took a few steps forward and laid her hand against his chest. “I’ve missed you. It’s been quiet in town. There’ve been no emergencies recently, so we’ve had no reason to interact.”

Zack chuckled. “I’d like to think we can work together on something other than a bar fight injury or gunshot wound.”

“Why don’t we go back to my cottage?” she suggested. “I’ve got a homemade apple pie on my kitchen counter.”

“You baked a pie?”

She shook her head. “Don’t be silly. It was a thank-you gift from Mrs. Steele for removing a splinter from … well, it doesn’t matter where it was from, I suppose. All that matters is that the pie is absolutely delicious.”

They walked through the clinic arm-in-arm. Zack blew out the last lamp and followed Suzanne through the door. Once she’d turned the key in the lock, they proceeded toward her cottage. They’d taken barely five steps, when Zack asked, “Does this pie come with coffee?”

“Yes,” she said firmly. “And until we’ve had a chance to talk, nothing more.”

“Talk?”

“Yes, we need to discuss how to get around what happened between us and back on track with our agreement. I’m almost certain everyone in town thinks we’ve broken up.”