Chapter Twenty-Three

It was just after eleven by the time Lucas and Gail arranged for Bernadette to get a room. Since Bernadette was so tired, he arranged for her to get a bath in the morning. He tried not to rush Bernadette to her room, but it was difficult to remain patient. He'd been waiting much too long to be alone with Gail.

As soon as he shut the door to Bernadette's room, he took Gail's hand and led her down the hall. Now, where was their room?

"Your poor sister," Gail said as he scanned the numbers on the doors. "She probably didn't get much sleep at all the entire time those outlaws had her stuck in that cave."

"I'm just glad they didn't do anything bad to her." Lucas found their room and shoved the key into the lock.

"You're right. It's much better that she be exhausted than hurt."

Yes, it was better, and knowing Bernadette was alright allowed him the ability to focus on Gail. He opened the door and let her go in first. She set her things on the floor, and he threw his supplies next to hers. Then he shut the door and brought her into his arms. The moment their lips touched, he was brought back to the same state of bliss he'd experienced the previous night before that horrible scorpion interrupted things. Thankfully, there would be no scorpion—or any equally creepy creatures—in the safety of this room. His mouth left hers, and he left a trail of kisses down her cheek then down her neck.

"Um, Lucas, shouldn't we take a bath so we're clean when we do this?" she asked.

His head snapped up, and he shook it. He had waited too long to let something like dirt stop them. "It's our clothes that are soiled. Not us. Here. Let me help you out of that riding outfit."

As he started unfastening the buttons on her riding jacket, she said, "But we got hot out there. I know it's not polite to talk about, but I did a lot of sweating under that sun."

He shrugged and slid the riding jacket off of her shoulders. "What's a little sweat?" Before she could make another argument, he added, "We'll take a bath when we're done. It's Tuesday night. The owner said baths are available all night. The only time there's a line of people waiting for a bath is on the weekends."

She paused to consider his words. Taking the moment of silence to advance things, he quickly undid the buttons of her blouse. It was amazing how, at a critical moment like this, she could worry about taking a bath. He would roll around in the mud with her right now if he had to.

He managed to get her blouse and the riding skirt off when she finally agreed that consummating their marriage before taking a bath was an acceptable plan. To say he was relieved was an understatement. If he had to wait any longer for this, he didn't know if he would survive.

He tossed off the rest of her clothes, quickly removed his, and then took her to the bed. Seeing her completely naked was his undoing. He needed her, and he needed her now. He urged her onto the bed then jumped into the spot next to her. The springs under the mattress protested, but at least it held up under their weight.

He wrapped her in his arms and returned his lips to hers. His tongue swept inside her mouth in earnest. She let out a moan and interlaced her tongue with his. His body tingled all over with pleasure. She wanted him with the same intensity he wanted her.

"I've never been more excited in my whole life," he whispered. "You're the perfect wife for me, Gail. I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Lucas."

This time she initiated the kiss. She even brushed her tongue across his lower lip to deepen it. With a groan, he accepted her invitation, and soon, his tongue was sparring with hers again. His hands slid down her body. He took note of her breasts, her waist, her hips… He took in everything he could until he thought he was going to burst.

He got on top of her then moved his hips so that his erection was intimately pressing up against her entrance. He moved his hips and noted, with immense pleasure, that she was wet. Sliding into her would probably be a simple matter. All he had to do was aim the head of his penis a little lower and push in.

This wasn't how he had envisioned their first time. All day long, he'd imagined taking his time making love to her. He was supposed to caress and kiss all of her. He was supposed to give her body careful study before he finally entered her because he did want to learn everything there was to know about her. But he simply didn't have that kind of patience. Maybe he would have last night, but he didn't right now.

He lifted her hips so that the tip of his erection was pressing into her. Then he pushed forward. There was some resistance, but it wasn't so much that he had trouble entering her. He let out a moan. This was even better than he expected. He slid partly out of her then slid all the way back in. Whatever resistance had been there before was gone now. She let out a sigh and wrapped her legs around his waist, an action that allowed him to go deeper into her. From there, he lost all sense of reason or time. All he could do was feel, and the tension mounted up within him until he had no choice but to release his seed. He let out a gasp and grew taut.

She held onto him as he rode each wave of pleasure that crashed into him. He thought she whispered his name but couldn't be sure since the intensity of his orgasm demanded his full attention. What a relief. The aching need that had pestered him all day had, at last, been satisfied. He had learned his lesson. He would never turn down an opportunity to make love to her ever again. After he finally descended back to Earth, he relaxed against her and kissed her for some time before allowing her to take that bath she wanted so badly.

***

Gail woke up the next morning to Lucas kissing her shoulder. She was lying on her stomach. With her eyes still closed, she teased, "Once you find out you like something, you don't stop doing it."

"Why should I stop?" he asked, his tone playful. "If something feels good, you want to keep doing it. Besides, after we had that bath, I found out how I could make you feel good." His hand slid under her body, and he cupped her breast. Then he kissed her cheek. "Do you remember that?"

She grinned. "Yes, I remember."

"Wouldn't you like to feel that way again?"

"What time is it?"

"It's not time to get out of bed until both of us are satisfied."

Did that mean it was later in the morning than she thought it was? She opened her eyes and glanced at the small window that had a thin cloth over it that served as a curtain. The sun was higher in the sky than she'd expected. Dawn had been a while ago. But she didn't think it was anywhere near midday yet. She supposed they had some spare time to enjoy this newfound activity.

She rolled onto her back and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. He brought his mouth to hers and kissed her in earnest. She sighed and let her fingers weave through his hair. He still smelled of the soap he had used during his bath last night. She suspected he had rushed the bath in order to get back to this bed with her because he was shivering when he returned to the room.

It was rather nice that he couldn't wait to get back to her, and it was also nice that she still held his interest this morning. He spent considerable time kissing and touching her. Last night after he came back from his bath, he had been mindful to do what he could to bring her pleasure, and after some experimenting, they discovered what worked best for her.

This morning, he was seeking to bring her pleasure again, for he brought his hand between her legs. Anticipating another orgasm, she parted her legs farther in silent encouragement to continue. He slid two fingers into her, found her sensitive nub with his thumb, and began to fondle her in earnest. She gripped his arms and groaned. Before last night, she had no idea this part of her body could produce such wonderful sensations. But she was aware of it now, and she noted the familiar buildup of tension that gave way to a burst of pleasure that swept all over her body. She let out a cry and gripped his arms. He, in turn, continued stroking her core until she was fully relaxed.

He kissed her for several seconds then got on top of her. She accepted him into her and held him as he made love to her. She smiled. When they were like this, they were united, heart, soul, and mind. There was no one else they would do this with, and for that reason alone, it made them closer to each other than they'd ever be with anyone else. After he reached completion, he stayed in bed with her for a few minutes, just holding and kissing her.

But they could not stay in bed forever. His sister was probably awake by now, and she'd be wondering when they would come get her. Though reluctant, they cleaned up and got dressed for the day.

"I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to getting back to Pennsylvania," Lucas told her as she laced up her boots while sitting on the bed. "I can't wait to wear decent clothes again."

She glanced over at Lucas. He was combing his hair in front of the small mirror that hung on the wall. He was still wearing the red-and-black plaid shirt and blue denims he'd bought in Little Rock.

"Cody gave me some money to help us out." She gestured to the peach shirtwaist and black riding skirt she had purchased the morning she'd bought the blue riding outfit, though she hadn't worn them until this morning. "You don't have to keep wearing those clothes."

"I don't need more clothes. We are not spending one more night in Arizona. After we find out what my sister wants to do, we are taking the first train out of here. I'm only wearing these clothes so that no one accuses us of being too ‘highfalutin'' for them."

She grinned at the whiny pitch he used as he said the word highfalutin' .

"I'm not wasting money on clothes that I'll only throw out when I get home," he continued. "I don't know about you, but I'm having these things burned."

"That's a shame."

He slipped the comb into his back pocket. "Why? You know these clothes are out of place back home."

"Yes, but the denims are snug on you." When he didn't seem to understand her meaning, she ignored the heat that crept up her cheeks to say, "I had no idea your behind was so well-rounded."

He stared at her for a moment before a wide smile crossed his face. "You like the way I look from behind?"

Her face grew warmer. "I was hoping you'd wear those pants in the future when we're alone. We could even pretend I was the one who was kidnapped, and you came to rescue me."

"Well, if it means that much to you, I can keep these clothes." He crossed the room and sat next to her on the bed. "As long as we're in the safety of our home, I don't mind rescuing a damsel in distress."

She chuckled. Then, on impulse, she hugged him and gave him a lingering kiss.

"You're making it hard for me to leave this room," he said. "It's not fair. You know I have to see if Bernadette is awake."

"I'll be good." She patted his arm then finished lacing her boots.

He brought her into his arms and kissed her. "Don't be too good. I don't mind a little wickedness from time to time." He gave her a wink.

She laughed then rose to her feet. "I'm glad you asked my father if you could marry me. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with."

"I can't think of anyone else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with, either." He stood up and kissed her until they heard someone walking outside their door. "It sounds like Bernadette is already awake." He hurried to open it.

Bernadette had her hand up as if she was ready to knock. Her hand dropped to her side. "I couldn't remember if I was supposed to wait until you came to my room or if I was supposed to come here."

"We were supposed to go to your room, but we overslept." He went to grab his hat that was on the hook by the door. "How did you sleep?"

"I slept well. I already took a bath this morning, and Blaze had a new dress brought to my room, so I'm not stuck wearing the old one."

"That was nice of him," Gail said and approached the door.

"Yes, it was," Bernadette replied. "I didn't expect it. Maybe I should have. I mean, we are getting married. He would want to make sure I have something decent to wear."

Lucas reached out to take her hand and led her into the room. He glanced out in the hallway then shut the door. "After spending time in Arizona, I'm not sure this is a good place for you," Lucas told his sister. "You don't have to marry Blaze. You can come back to Pennsylvania with me and Gail. I'm sure you can find someone back there to marry you, and Blaze will have no trouble finding another woman."

"None of the men back home are like Blaze." Bernadette's gaze went to Gail. "He's brave and strong and kind and handsome. Have you ever seen anyone like him?"

Surprised Bernadette asked her that when the man she had married was standing right next to her, Gail shook her head. "I don't think anyone is better than Lucas, but I will say Blaze is a lot better than a lot of men. He's certainly better than Zeke."

Bernadette laughed. "If Lucas had arranged for me to marry Zeke, I'd be the first one on the train to Pennsylvania. It's unbelievable he thinks he's fit to be a deputy."

"He's only a deputy because his uncle is the sheriff."

"Well, that explains it. I had trouble understanding why anyone would hire him. He'd be better off doing a job that doesn't require any danger."

Gail returned to the bed and picked up her hat. "I feel sorry for the poor people in Flagstaff. They're stuck with him. At least you're going to Hardyville. I saw that on the map, and it's a good ways from Flagstaff. Now that Bower, Big Mike, and Squiggy are in jail, you can marry Blaze and leave this town. You won't have to see Zeke ever again."

"I don't know if I'd say Zeke is that bad," Lucas spoke up. "Yes, he has a tendency to think he's better than he really is, and," he hurried to add when Gail shot him a bewildered look, "I know he puts his foot in his mouth quite a bit. But he does want to help."

"You weren't there with him in the cave," Bernadette argued. "Bower had him tied up within two minutes of him showing up to rescue me. Zeke might want to help others, but he can't even help himself."

Gail grimaced and secured her hat in place with her pins. That had to be the most pathetic thing she'd ever heard. It was a wonder that Bernadette hadn't shared that part with the sheriff.

A knock came at the door. After a moment, Lucas opened it. Blaze and Zeke were both standing in front of them.

"Oh, good, you're all here," Zeke said. "For once, Blaze, you're right. Bernadette went to see her brother."

"What's going on?" Lucas asked.

Zeke looked in Bernadette's direction. "Did you tell them about Lee and Wilson yet?"

Bernadette shook her head. "I haven't had a chance."

Gail's eyebrows furrowed. She recognized those names. "Aren't they bandits?"

"Yes, they are," Zeke replied. "And they are hard to catch. Every time someone thinks they have a lead on them, they turn out not to be there. This time, we know exactly where they're going. Squiggy said they're searching for treasure, and we happen to know where the treasure is." Zeke retrieved a drawing of a map from his pocket. "They're heading to a place just outside of Quartzsite. We've been asking around town this morning, and someone said they saw them come through here yesterday. That means they aren't too far from us."

"We did the calculations, and we figure we can get to the X marked on the map around the same time they do," Blaze inserted. "We managed to capture and turn in Bower and his gang. We can do the same with Lee and Wilson."

"And think of it; we'll all be heroes," Zeke added.

"I don't care about being a hero," Lucas said. "I want my sister married so her future is secured."

"After all you went through with your sister, it doesn't bother you that outlaws are running all over Arizona?" Zeke asked in disbelief.

"Are you bothered by the fact that Cooper is still out there?" Lucas pointed out.

"Well, sure I am, but we can only follow one lead at a time. We know where Lee and Wilson are going. We have no idea where Cooper is."

Lucas turned his attention to Blaze. "Do you still want to marry my sister?"

Blaze nodded. "Of course, I do, and I searched for a preacher this morning, but the only preacher this town had died. The traveling judge isn't due in for another week." Blaze's gaze went to Bernadette. "I know the timing couldn't be worse, but I can't let this opportunity to get Lee and Wilson go. They're far more dangerous than Bower, Big Mike, and Squiggy."

"Blaze helped me with Bower and his men. I bet he can help me again in Quartzsite," Zeke added.

Lucas kept his attention on Blaze. "Where is Bernadette supposed to stay while she waits for you to track Lee and Wilson down? I don't want to leave her here all by herself in this hotel."

"She won't have to stay here," Zeke replied. "She can join us."

Lucas' jaw fell open as he turned his gaze to him. "She's not married."

Zeke gave him and Gail a hopeful look. "That's why we thought you two could come along, too. Someone has to chaperone her, and who better than her brother and sister-in-law?"

Gail couldn't believe her ears. She and Lucas were expected to go on this hunt for Lee and Wilson with them? She looked over at Bernadette. Was Bernadette sure she had to marry Blaze instead of someone in Pennsylvania?

"I'm alright with this," Bernadette told Lucas and Gail. "Arizona is my new home, and Blaze and I will get married."

"Yes, we will," Blaze agreed. "I still want to go through with the arrangement, Lucas."

Lucas hesitated for a long moment then turned to Gail. "I suppose everything in Pennsylvania will go smoothly without us there for a few more weeks."

"That's the spirit," Zeke cheered and patted Lucas' shoulder. "You still got your bedrolls and canteens." He motioned to where Lucas had left them in the corner of the room then went to pick them up. "I already packed new supplies. I even got some things for Bernadette. Thanks to the fact that you all slept in late, Blaze and I are ready to go."

"Wait there a moment," Lucas argued. "I'm not going anywhere until Gail and I get more clothes. If we're going to be stuck in this godforsaken land, we can't keep wearing the same thing all the time." He glanced at Bernadette. "How many clothes did Blaze get you?"

"Oh, I have quite a few new things," she replied, her cheeks going pink.

"I helped him buy them," Zeke inserted.

Ignoring him, Lucas said, "Well, Gail and I still need to do some shopping."

"Alright, get more clothes, but make it quick," Zeke replied. "The rest of us will be at the livery stable getting the horses." Zeke waited for Blaze and Bernadette to leave then added, "Don't take long. We want to make good progress before nightfall." Then he rushed to catch up with the betrothed couple.

Lucas let out a sigh, and Gail joined him. Yes, she was hoping to get to the train today, too, but it wasn't meant to be. She rubbed his arm. "We won't be stuck in Arizona forever. Once they get Lee and Wilson, Blaze will marry Bernadette, and we'll head home."

"Do you think it'll take Blaze and Zeke a long time to find Lee and Wilson?"

"With Blaze leading the way, it won't. He knows what he's doing."

"Yeah, I suppose he does. He already proved it at the canyon." After a moment, he took her hand in his and squeezed it. "I can think of many things I'd rather do than go through Arizona, but I take great comfort in knowing we'll be together."

She smiled. "Yep, you're stuck with me."

With a smile, he removed his hat and kissed her. "Good because there's no one else I'd rather be with." He put his hat back on then escorted her out of the hotel to begin their next adventure .