The Outlaws: Jess (4 page)

"No! No laudanum. I can bear the pain."

"There," Jess said, pulling the blanket up to
her chin. "All done. That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"I...suppose not."

"Are you ready to eat now?"

"Help me sit up."

This time she held onto the blanket as he
helped her into a sitting position. When she was settled
comfortably against her saddle, he returned with a battered tin
plate filled with savory rabbit stew.

"I'm glad it's not broth again," Meg said,
sniffing appreciatively. "Where did you get the vegetables?"

"I found the wild onions and bought the
potatoes and carrots from a farmer. I happened upon a farmhouse
while I was out hunting." What he didn't say was that he'd used
nearly the last of his dwindling supply of money to purchase the
vegetables.

Meg held the plate on her lap and clumsily
spooned food into her mouth with her left hand. "It's very
good."

"Do you need help?"

"No, thank you. I can manage."

And manage she did, settling back against the
saddle after she'd cleaned the plate.

Jess took care of the dishes and returned a
short time later. He dropped down beside her and felt her forehead.
It was cool to the touch.

"When can I leave?" Meg asked.

He searched her face. "Let's play it by ear.
I don't want you to suffer a relapse."

Meg heaved an exasperated sigh. "Why should I
believe anything you say? I found you with the Calders. Three
brothers robbed the bank. Three, not two. Your story sounds pretty
farfetched to me. How do I know you're not lying to me? Why should
I believe you're Jess Gentry and not a Calder?"

"Because of the simple fact that Danny Calder
is dead. Jay told me he took a bullet during the bank robbery and
died from loss of blood before they could get him to a doctor."

Meg found it difficult to believe him despite
his medical skills. "Where do you fit in?"

"I don't. I had no idea who they were when
they stumbled upon my campsite. They weren't shy about offering
their names or bragging about their exploits. I was wondering how I
was going to save my skin when you appeared from out of
nowhere."

"Danny Calder is dead?"

"So they said, and I have no reason to doubt
them. How can you question my skill? You wouldn't have pulled
through without medical help. I'd seen many nasty infections during
the war, but yours was one of the worse."

"You were a doctor in the war?"

He nodded.

"You were a Rebel, weren't you?"

Jess gave her a lopsided smile. "It's my
voice, isn't it? Rafe and Sam lost all traces of their Southern
accents but mine persists no matter how hard I try to lose it."

"Who are Rafe and Sam?"

For a moment Meg thought he wasn't going to
answer, then he said, "My brothers."

"Tell me about them. Where do you hail
from?"

Jess refused to meet her gaze. "I don't care
to talk about them or myself right now. I'm more concerned about
convincing you I'm Dr. Jess Gentry."

The intensity of his feelings, his sincerity,
nudged her in the direction of acceptance. But she wasn't going to
let her guard down. Doctor or not, a man was still a man. Zach was
the only male she trusted.

"I suppose," she grudgingly admitted.

"Do you want to tell me how and why you
became a bounty hunter?"

Meg went still. "I don't think so."

"What about Zach? What's he to you?"

"I'm tired, Jess. Good night," she said.

Jess wisely chose not to pursue the subject.
Meg's life was none of his business. Why should he care if Meg
wanted to risk her life hunting down dangerous outlaws?
Because
you saved her life and you'd hate to think something like this
could happen to her again
, he told to himself.

"Good night, Meg."

Meg continued to improve. The following day
she awakened before Jess and gingerly eased herself to a sitting
position. When she succeeded with only moderate pain, she raised
herself to her knees, struggled to her feet, and headed for the
nearest tree, dragging up one of the blankets to cover her
nakedness.

Two steps, then two more. Her legs wobbled
dangerously and she proceeded with caution. Then suddenly she felt
a strong arm steadying her and she relaxed briefly against Jess's
broad chest.

"I'm fine, now, thank you."

"Why didn't you say you had to relieve yourself?"

Her chin notched upward. "I thought I could
manage."

His arm tightened around her waist. "You're
one stubborn female. Let me help you. Call out when you're finished
and I'll help you back."

Meg nodded, thrilled that she'd made it this
far on her own. Each step she took without help was a step closer
to home and away from Jess Gentry. She didn't like the way she'd
come to depend on him. There were too many things she didn't know
about Jess Gentry. What was he doing out on the prairie alone? He
didn't look like an outlaw, but being on the run from the law was
the usual reason men refused to divulge their pasts. Jess might be
a doctor, and he might have saved her life, but only a fool would
trust a man who kept secrets about his past.

Meg finally got her clothing back. Jess
helped her don her shirt and slide on her trousers, though it
embarrassed her to have him play her maid. She kept reminding
herself that Jess was a doctor, that he was accustomed to seeing
unclothed women. She would have been horrified had she known that
Jess's experience in treating women was limited. He had joined the
war shortly after graduating from medical school, and men made up
the bulk of his patients to date.

"When do you think I can leave?" Meg asked
once she was decently clothed.

"Another day or two. How long will it us take
to reach your home?"

"Us? Look, Jess, you don't need to accompany
me. I can find my way home by myself. It's not far."

"You're not strong enough," Jess said with a
stern shake of his head. "Listen to your doctor. I'll see you
home." And give that man of yours a good talking to before I leave,
he thought but did not say.

The following day Jess allowed Meg to walk
around a bit. Though she moved stiffly, he was satisfied with her
progress. She was still pale and drawn and appeared to have lost
weight but she was so anxious to return to her Zach that he decided
they could leave the following morning. He began making
preparations and advised Meg of his decision.

"We're leaving!" Meg exclaimed. "Thank God. I
know Zach is frantic with worry. I rarely stay out longer than a
week. If I don't have my man by then, he's probably left the area
and his trail is cold."

"I hope this teaches you a lesson," Jess said
with marked sarcasm. Leave men's work to men and concentrate on
something better suited to your gender. Like getting married and
having children."

Meg faced him squarely, her expression
belligerent. "Are you one of those men who believe women are
inferior to men?"

Jess took one look at Meg's outraged features
and sparkling green eyes and was aware of only one thing. He wanted
to kiss her. Badly. Her pouting lips were pursed enticingly; he
couldn't recall when he'd last kissed a beautiful woman. And make
no mistake, despite her near brush with death, Meg Lincoln was
beautiful, provocative, and far too tempting to resist.

Gently, so as not to hurt her injured right
side, he drew her close. "Meg, I don't think that at all. I believe
men should protect women, and obviously Zach isn't doing a very
good job of it. You're very beautiful, you know. You could have any
man you want. Perhaps Zach isn't right for you."

She gave him a perplexed look. "Zach
is..."

"No, I don't want to hear it. Just think
about what I've said. I don't want to see you hurt again."

Her lips hovered so close to his he could
feel her sweet breath fan his cheek, see her green eyes widen with
sudden awareness. Her breath hitched; he felt her body tense, and
knew intuitively she experienced the same sexual attraction that
made his body swell with desire.

Damn! This was no time to form an attraction
to a woman, Jess thought. Meg was still weak and vulnerable and
didn't need his lustful inclinations adding to her woes. But her
lips! All he had to do was lean forward and...

The kiss was inevitable, but what happened
during the kiss stunned him. The intimacy was searing,
intoxicating. He expected her to draw away from him, but she
shocked him when her lips softened and melted against his. The next
step came naturally as he nudged her lips apart and slipped his
tongue inside to explore the inner contours of her mouth. His arm
slipped around her waist. A groan of pleasure reverberated from his
throat as the tips of her unbound breasts brushed his chest and her
loins meshed with his. He heard her whimper as he deepened the
kiss.

"Meg...you taste...so damn...good."

His words must have awakened her survival
instincts for she broke off the kiss and shoved him away with her
good arm.

With an effort he returned to the hard
clarity of reality, releasing her instantly. "I'm sorry," he said,
backing away. "I don't know what got into me."

"You're a man," she said with scathing
contempt. "It's what men do."

Meg was truly frightened. For the first time
in her life she'd experienced desire and she didn't like it. She'd
lost control, something she rarely did. When Jess kissed her a
ripple of heat had radiated through her body. She felt as if she
were drowning in feelings, feelings that had no place in her life.
To make matters worse, Jess's kiss had been no chaste kiss, it was
the kiss of a man with vast experience in the ways of the flesh. An
expert lover who could give her things she'd only allowed herself
to dream about.

What did she know about sexual hunger, or
desire, or hot, insistent kisses? Very little, and she had no
desire to experience those things with a man she knew nothing
about.

"Is that what you think, Meg? That all men
are vile creatures intent upon their own pleasure?"

"Of course. You know it's true."

"What about Zach?" he challenged.

"Zach is...different. He'd never hurt
me."

"Some man must have hurt you badly," Jess
said. "I'm sorry. You deserve better than that. Forgive me, it
won't happen again."

"It had better not," Meg said.

Why did her voice have to tremble? Meg
wondered as she turned away. Why did this particular man have the
power to reduce her to a mindless puddle of flesh? She had
whimpered, for heaven's sake!

And another thing. She didn't like his
assumption that Zach was her lover. Furthermore, it was none of his
business. Jess was a doctor, he had saved her life, but he held no
special place in her life. As soon as he returned her to Zach, he
would ride off into the sunset and become a dim memory. If she
remembered him at all it would be whenever she looked at the wound
she carried on her chest.

Meg rested all that day, preparing for the
ordeal of mounting a horse and riding for the first time since her
injury. The wound was still painful; the merest jostle sent waves
of pain radiating through her chest, her back, and down her right
arm.

That evening she made her way to the river
alone to bathe. Jess didn't follow and she was grateful. She didn't
know how she would react if he tried to kiss her again. She was
confused. Normally she couldn't stand any man around her but Zach.
After what Arlo had put her through she'd wanted no part of any
man. Had she been wrong to lump all men in the same category? Not
really, she decided. Her healthy contempt for men is what made her
a good bounty hunter. That and Zach's expert training.

That night Meg and Jess ate a meal of
leftovers and retired early. She knew tomorrow would be grueling
but looked forward to going home.

Sleep didn't come easily for Jess. He
couldn't get the kiss out of his head. He relived it over and over.
Meg's lips were soft, clinging to his with sweet surrender for the
space of a heartbeat. He wondered what had happened to make her
despise men...and what made Zach so special.

It wasn't like him to take advantage of a
weak woman. And that's he'd done no matter how he tried to excuse
himself. Meg was his patient, for godsake! Being a doctor made his
transgression even more inexcusable. But, damn, he'd wanted Meg in
every way a man wanted a woman. Had he been away from civilization
too long? Deprived of female company longer than he'd like to
contemplate?

His last thought before succumbing to sleep
was that he wanted to kiss Meg again, and how immensely he'd enjoy
it.

They dismantled camp early the next morning.
Jess lifted Meg into her saddle and handed her the reins. She
gripped them in her left hand and slowly straightened, reeling
under the pain of unaccustomed exertion.

"Are you all right?" Jess asked, his voice
taut with worry.

"I...can manage."

"Where are we going?"

"Head for Cheyenne. I live north of the city,
beyond the railroad tracks. Zach built the house on land he bought
before he... Never mind."

"I won't pry, Meg, if that's what you're
worried about. Are you ready?"

Meg nodded. Jess took the lead. "Holler out if you
need to stop. If I had my way we'd stay here until you regained
your full strength."

"I'm fine," Meg said. "Weakness doesn't catch
outlaws, or put food on the table. The Calders escaped but there
are other criminals out there with prices on their heads."

And I'm one of them
, Jess silently
ruminated. Aloud he said, "I'd hoped you'd learned your lesson.
Didn't your latest narrow escape teach you anything?"

"It taught me to be more careful next time.
And there will be a next time, Dr. Gentry. It's all I know."