A Texan's Promise by Shelley Gray Page B

thinking ahead—or for thinking about Vanessa. "I guess she thought you had some time."
    "I guess so. It is a shame that she wasn't here. I never thought she wouldn't watch me get married."
    She sounded winsome. Unable to help himself, Clayton wrapped an arm around Vanessa and pulled her close so her back wouldn't be pressed against the mattress. As she sighed and situated herself, Clayton pretended he was back at the Circle Z and hugging her like he'd done when she'd gotten stung by a mess of angry hornets out in the pecan grove.
    Yes, that was how he was holding her. Almost in a brotherly way.
    However, he'd never felt anything less than brotherly. He'd never before been so aware of her presence. Had never had her head resting on his shoulder or her delicate palm lying flat on his heart. He'd never noticed that she smelled like spring jasmine silky powder. Fresh and clean and perfect.
    All visions of doctoring hornet stings vanished in an instant.
    "This feels kind of strange, doesn't it?" she murmured.
    At least that, he could answer honestly. "It does."
    "I thought I'd be scared, sitting like this with you, but I'm not." She shifted, moving one hand a little closer to his shoulder. Her hip brushed his side. "I'm glad I'm not scared."Eyelashes fluttered in embarrassment. "I'm sorry I'm so much trouble."
    He had to touch her. Gently brushing hair from her cheek, he murmured, "Don't worry. Please don't worry about a thing.Everything's going to be all right." He forced himself to say the words though he didn't know how to make them true. How would he support her? Where would they live? How could he ever come to terms with the fact that her pa had asked him to look out for her—as her guardian. Marriage had never even been considered.
    She yawned. "You sound so sure."
    Knowing she needed her sleep, Clayton relaxed as much as he could with Vanessa practically lying on top of him. "I'm glad I sound sure."
    What would she do weeks or months from now, when gratitude wasn't clouding her thoughts? When the danger of being hunted by her stepfather wasn't on their minds?
    When the terrible, awful memories of Price's hand had faded? What would they do then? She'd have her eye on someone younger, someone more suitable, and she'd be trapped with him—a man too old who'd seen too much.
    "We should probably get to sleep. Morning comes early."
    She sat up and pulled away. "Yes. I best change out of Mary's gown, too. I'll ruin it otherwise."
    Clayton stood up, anxious to put some space between them.Now that he really thought about it, he was thinking that there wasn't really all that much room on that mattress. In fact, it was likely that when they both lay down, mere inches would separate them. "I could sleep down below, Van."
    "Below?"
    "With the horses. It won't be a hardship. I've slept in worse places."
    "I couldn't sleep with you down there."
    He gestured to the rug. "Or this would be fine.""Don't be silly, Clayton," Vanessa said over her shoulder as she started to unbutton her gown. "We've been together on the trail."
    He supposed that was true. "I'm so tired anyway, I bet I won't move."
    "Me, neither. And no more talk about going down and sleeping with the horses. I don't want to be up here alone."
    "There's a slew of quilts so I guess we won't be too cold."He figured one could rest between them while they slept.
    "I imagine we'll be just fine."
    He could no longer delay the inevitable. "Well, then . . . I guess we best get settled." He unbuttoned his shirt, then his denims, taking care to hang each piece on the nails lining the wall. Clad only in the bottoms of his long johns, he crawled under the blankets.
    After a pause, Vanessa continued to unfasten the long row of buttons down her front. Suddenly, shy, she turned her back to him as she slipped the gown off.
    Unable to help himself, he glanced at her back. Though she was clad in a long white camisole and petticoat, his eyes only looked for her injury. Even in the dim