So much to do, so little time, but Chapter 3 of my novel entitled Sweet Liberty is ready to go online.

 

Hopefully, Chapter 4 of Sweet Liberty won’t take so long to post. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.

 

 

Chapter 3

 

After drawing in a deep, shaky breath, he said, “It’s all right, Miss Libby. I promise not to hurt you.”

“But it isn’t proper,” she protested softly as he steadily pulled on her arm. “Willie and Flossie might see.”

Turning her slightly by her shoulders, he leaned her back against him and wrapped his arms around her. This felt so good, so right, that he wondered if he would be able to let her go when he had to. “Are you telling me that Will and Flossie have never seen their sister in a man’s arms.”

“Never.”

To his amazement, she snuggled against him. This felt even better than he’d expected, almost like this was the way it should be between them. But Nate sensed that Libby wouldn’t let feelings cloud her judgment. Unable to resist, he let his long fingers encircled her wrists as he crossed their arms over her stomach. To his surprise, she released a contented sigh.

He smiled at her reaction and stifled the urge to kiss the soft tresses against his face. He’d had a feeling this moment would happen, which was the precise reason he’d shaved while dinner cooked. He wanted to feel as much of her as he could when he finally got the opportunity. “Comfortable?”

“M-m, h-mm,” she moaned.

“Good. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to discuss your reaction to that rattler. Were you bitten by one once?”

“I was bitten,” she explained, “but not by a rattlesnake. When I was four, I tried to make a pet out of a coral snake. I’m grateful Papa was there to help me, just as I’m grateful that you were there to help Flossie. I only wish I could suitably demonstrate my gratitude.”

“You could tell me about yourself,” Nate suggested.

“There’s not much to tell. I was raised on a farm outside Charleston, South Carolina, and I went to school in town. This is the first time I’ve ever left the city. But you must have led an interesting life.”

 

That statement was obviously all Nate needed to relate stories about his childhood in Philadelphia. For a long time, Libby simply listened, only occasionally asking a question, which spurred him into another story. She was comfortable with Nate, even though she’d only known him a few hours. He was so charming, so undemanding. His voice was deep and inviting as he spoke quietly into her ear. And she enjoyed the seductive tone so much that it seemed like only minutes when he unexpectedly released her and hopped down from the wagon.

Leaning against the side, he rested his hands on her shoulders and gently massaged them. “I’m sorry, Miss Libby. As you can tell, I haven’t seen another human for a long time.” Nate paused. Then his lips brushed against hers. “You were very kind to listen to me, but I’ll let you sleep now. Good night.”

In that brief, tentative kiss, Libby felt a momentary skip of her heartbeat. Never before had a man caused such a reaction in her; never before had a man made her want more intimate contact. Apparently, Nate sparked something so deep inside her that she hadn’t even known it was there.

Although she wished she could return his good night, she couldn’t force the words from her mouth. Instead, she watched silently as Nate returned to his bedroll and lay down. Then she made herself as comfortable as possible in a corner of the wagon and tried to go to sleep.

 

Nate woke abruptly and stared at the dark sky. What had disturbed his sleep? Flossie moaned nearby. Rushing to her, he knelt beside her as he laid his hand on her forehead. Almost simultaneously, she opened her eyes.

“It’s all right, Flossie,” he said soothingly as he pulled the blanket to her shoulders. “It’s me. How do you feel?”

“Awful,” she replied. “Nate? Am I going to die?”

He smiled brightly to reassure her. “Not enough venom got into your system for that.”

“But a rattlesnake bit me. Papa told me to always be careful around snakes because Libby almost died from a snakebite. And I don’t feel good at all.”

“She told me about that, and it isn’t the same situation. She was bitten by a coral snake, which is much more dangerous than a rattler, and nobody helped her as quickly as I did you. Maybe your father didn’t know exactly what to do. I don’t know. She was also just a small child. But most of the poison is out of your system now, so you won’t die—not from this snake bite, anyway.”

“Then you saved my life.”

His face unexpectedly burned with embarrassment. “I suppose I did.”

Flinging her arms around him, she thanked him with a kiss. So he wasn’t thrown off balance, he embraced her in return. He was acutely aware of the well-endowed teenager and felt the stir of desire in his loins. The longing, he realized, was actually directed toward another woman—not the girl in his arms. Instantly, his thoughts returned to earlier that night when he’d held and kissed Libby.

Ah, Liberty! he thought excitedly. The lovely, enticing, unapproachable Liberty! He could still taste her lips under his and wanted more. Without thinking, he slipped the tip of his tongue between his lips until it met hers. The other lips separated slightly, enough for him to slide his tongue into her mouth. But when his tongue collided with hers, reality returned with a jolt. It wasn’t Libby in his arms; it was Flossie.

So as not to upset the youngster, he gently pushed her away. Gazing at her in distress, he rubbed his temples with his index fingers and exhaled through his mouth in a long, ragged breath. He tried to apologize but stumbled over the words.

“I … I’m sorry, Flossie. I couldn’t … and don’t expect you to understand what happened … because you’re too young to know what I was feeling. It’s been an incredibly long time since I’ve been with a woman. And when you’re a man my age, sometimes the need for a woman becomes overwhelming. You’re still a child, Flossie, an adolescent. I can’t expect you to understand. All I can say is that I’m sorry, and I promise it won’t happen again.”

“I don’t care if it happens again,” she said. “I like the way you kiss.”

“Oh, God!” he moaned. “What have I done? If I caught a man my age kissing Becky like that, I’d beat the hell out of him. I’m more than twice your age, Flossie. I’m much too old for you.”

“Who’s Becky?”

“My youngest sister. She’s sixteen, and Will tells me that you’re fifteen. If I won’t let a man treat my sister that way, I’ve no business treating someone younger than she in that manner. You won’t have to worry that I’ll do it again, either, Flossie. I promise.”

“Why not? Don’t you like me?”

“Of course, I do. But I was too tempted to bed you, and you’re much too young for that.”

“I am?” she asked in amazement. “But I’ve already been with boys. And I love you, so why not?”

Nate stared at her. This conversation couldn’t be taking place. He had to be dreaming. “You love me? Hell! Now what am I going to do? No, you only think you love me.”

“You saved my life, and I want us to be together like that.”

“No, Flossie. You’re just a child.”

“I’m more of a woman than Willie is a man.”

“That’s enough of such talk,” he declared paternally. “Lie down and get some sleep. There’s still some poison in your system, so you need a lot of rest the next couple of days.”

“Are you leaving in the morning?”

Nate shook his head. “I don’t know yet. You three could use my help, but my staying will depend on Miss Libby. And I intend to discuss it with her first thing in the morning. Now lie down and go back to sleep.”

“Would you sit with me for a while?” she asked as she lay back down.

He smiled and covered her up again. “Of course.”

“If you leave, I’m coming with.”

Already deep in thought about another woman, Nate only distantly heard her words and replied “Whatever you say, Flossie. Good night.”

 

At daybreak, Nate still contemplated the advisability of remaining with the siblings. As badly as he wanted to stay near Libby, he wondered how he could if Flossie continued her advances. During his life, he’d been attracted to so many women that he’d lost track. But for some reason, he felt a different kind of attraction to Libby. Was it because he’d been away from women for so long? Or was there another reason? To answer his questions, he needed to associate with her. But he was afraid that, if he found he couldn’t stay because of Flossie, he wouldn’t be able to bear the separation from Libby.

Releasing a heavy sigh, he stalked to Will’s bedroll. To wake the young man, Nate shook his shoulder and whispered his name until he finally responded.

“Go ‘way,” Will muttered as he glanced around then rolled over. “The sun ain’t even up full yet.”

“Get up, Will,” Nate insisted in a quiet tone. “This is important. I want you to come with me.”

“What’s so danged important that I hafta git up before the sun?”

“Just get up. I’ll tell you when we’re away from your sisters.” Nate grabbed Will’s upper arm and dragged him to his knees. “Let’s go.”

“I’m comin’,” Will grumbled. “I’m comin’.”

Near the river, Nate stood stiffly erect with his chin thrust forward. Gazing unfalteringly into Will’s eyes, he commanded, “Hit me.”

Will dark eyes widened in shock. “What?”

“I said hit me. As hard as you can.”

“But I don’t want to, Nate,” Will protested. “I like you.”

“I deserve it. Now hit me. Don’t hold back.”

Will shook his head. “I can’t. You could have fought me yesterday, but you made me change my mind. And you treat me like a man. I admire you. How can you expect me to hit you?”

“Because if I ever hear of you doing what I did last night, I’ll hunt you down and do the same to you.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I’ll explain later.” Tapping his chin with his index finger, Nate prompted, “Right here. And make it worth your while. Show me how much of a man you are.”

Even though he made a fist and pulled it back, Will halted. “Before I do this, I want you to know that I don’t feel right about it.”

“You will when I explain.”

Nate continued his direct gaze until Will’s fist connected with his chin. The force was so powerful that it sent him reeling backward. Stunned, he struggled to regain his balance but failed. A sharp pain shot through his head. Then came blackness.

 

Will gazed down at the motionless man for several seconds. This hadn’t happened. It couldn’t have. It had to be a dream, a nightmare. Stunned, he dropped to his knees beside Nate. Reality returned in an instant. To Will’s horror, blood rapidly spread out on the ground under Nate’s head. Scrambling to his feet, he raced back to Libby.

“Libby!” he shouted as he sprinted back to camp. “Libby, come quick! I hit him, and I think he’s dead.”

Libby bolted upright in the wagon. “Hit whom? What are you talking about?”

“Nate. He wanted me to hit him, so I did. I didn’t want to, but he talked me into it. He just stood there and waited for it to come. He said to hit him hard, so I did. I thought he’d duck, but he didn’t. He hit his head on a rock, Lib. I think he’s dead.”

“Help me down, and we’ll go check him.”

 

Libby and Will got to the riverbank at the same moment Nate began to regain consciousness. As his hand moved slowly toward his chin, relief flooded through Libby. She glanced up to Will and whispered, “He’s alive.”

Then, lifting her skirts out of her way, she hurried to Nate’s side. Will lengthened his stride to keep up with her. Before Nate could touch his face, she dropped to her knees and grasped his hand tenderly.

Nate opened his eyes for a moment then squeezed them shut. In a soft, comforting voice, she said, “It’s all right, Nate.”

She used a tender, caressing touch to stroke the hair from his forehead. The memory of his holding her last night floated across her mind as a moan escaped from deep in his chest.

Opening his eyes again, he stared up at her. His confusion showed vividly in his expression. Then he spoke in a weak voice. “Miss Liberty? Will?”

She felt like she should smile to reassure him, but her lips refused to follow her mind’s direction. Instead, she tightened her hold on his hand and replied, “That’s right, Nate. How do you feel?”

“I have a hell of a headache, and my jaw hurts. Everything’s blurry, and I’m seeing two of you.” He paused and offered her a brief smile. “Which is good because now I get to see two angels instead of only one.”

But Libby was in no mood for his flirting. She was much too concerned about his injury. “I understand that you deserve it.”

“Then Flossie told you. I’m glad.”

“Flossie?” she repeated. “I don’t understand. Will told me what happened.”

Turning his gaze to Will, Nate gazed up at him, his face distorted with concern. “Would you check on Flossie for me? Miss Libby and I will be along shortly. I want to talk to her alone.”

“But you said you’d explain,” Will complained.

“I will, but first, I want to explain privately to Miss Libby.”

“Oh, all right,” Will agreed.

While Will stalked away, Nate struggled to a sitting position. Libby tried to keep him down, but he was too strong for her to hold back. Gazing at her sorrowfully, he said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to happen. Honest. I tried to stop her—but not until it was too late.”

“You’re not making any sense, Nate. Maybe you should rest instead of talk.”

“I have to tell you—privately. You need to understand before I tell Will. I promised him I would, so I have to. A man always keeps his promises, and he’ll learn that through my example.”

“But you’re rambling. Surely, what you want to say can wait until you’re more coherent.”

“It must be said now. I can’t go back to camp without you knowing. You have to tell me what to do. I want to stay with you—to help. You need me because Will doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing. He’ll learn, but it will take someone to teach him how to do it right. I don’t know if I should stay or not.”

“If you’re looking to me for permission, Nate, I’d be grateful for your help. But the decision to stay or leave has to be yours.”

“You don’t know everything. It’s Flossie. She thinks she’s in love with me. I can’t encourage her, and I don’t know how to discourage her. You have to tell me what to do, Miss Libby. I don’t know how to handle adolescent love.”

Libby’s chest unexpectedly ached. What was wrong? Why did it hurt to know that Flossie loved Nate? Surely, Nate couldn’t be attracted to someone as young as Flossie. Or could he? Despite her distress, she responded in an easy tone. “Don’t encourage her, and you won’t need to discourage her. Flossie’s had a number of boys attracted to her in the past couple years. She was quite early in developing.”

“She sure felt like a woman when she was kissing me last night.” Libby gasped in horror, but Nate continued as though he didn’t notice. “I damned near forgot that she’s a child. But I didn’t forget. I remembered because you’re a woman, and she doesn’t feel anything like you. She’s round and has curves everywhere they should be. You’re delicate. It’s not that you don’t have curves, too, but it’s different. Do you understand what I mean?”

How could she possibly explain that she didn’t understand? He was a man. How could he think about a young girl like that? It was sinful, and he should know it. But she couldn’t tell him, either. Even if she knew how, she couldn’t say anything right now, not with all his incoherent rambling. He probably wouldn’t understand, anyway, given his delirious state. Rather than try, she decided to humor him for now; later she could explain—when he could understand.

He apologized several times for letting Flossie kiss him then pleaded for Libby to let him stay. The night before he’d been so sensitive. Now he continually stabbed her in the heart with his constant talk of the event.

Still, Libby reassured him that he didn’t have to leave, until he at least recovered from his concussion. At the same time, she coaxed him to stand. Draping his arm around her shoulders, she wrapped both of her arms tightly around his waist. Although he insisted that he could walk alone, he leaned heavily on her as they laboriously made their way back to camp.

When they were close enough, Libby called to Will. Together they got Nate back to his bedroll. Will helped Nate lie down, then Libby sent him to fetch water and find something for breakfast. While he was gone, she tended to Flossie and Nate, who continued to chatter incoherently about the physical differences between the sisters. Shortly before Flossie woke, Nate finally fell asleep.

Throughout the morning and part of the afternoon, Libby tended to her two injured patients. Much of her time, she sat beside the attractive man. His scruffy appearance, made more prominent by the untanned part of his face that had once been covered by his beard, attracted her to him even more.

After the bleeding from his head wound stopped, she covered the injury and bound it in place with a bandage wrapped around his head. As he slept, Libby smiled softly. He looked like an overgrown boy who’d been playing war and was too tired to continue.

For several hours, Libby divided her attention between Flossie and Nate. When her sister fell asleep again, Libby sat down beside Nate to wipe his perspiring brow with a damp cloth. He was obviously too warm lying directly in the sun, but she couldn’t move him. Will had gone off to hunt for their dinner, so she had to wait for Nate to awaken before she could help him into the shade. Shifting to a more comfortable position, she drew her legs up beside her.

As she wiped his face, she found it virtually impossible to keep her eyes from wandering to the sweat-drenched buckskin shirt clinging to his body. In her mind, she could vividly see his bare torso when he’d prepared to do combat with Will. She’d never known anybody as muscular as Nate. His physique attracted her—but it also frightened her more than a little. Will was a lot bigger than she, but Nate seemed even bigger despite his shorter stature. He could probably do whatever he wanted to any of them.

Nate’s eyes fluttered open as she swabbed his forehead. When he gazed up at her blankly, she smiled and asked, “How are you feeling?”

“I have a horrendous headache,” he replied. “And I’m hot.”

“Would you like me to help you out of the sun?”

“First, I want to take off my shirt.”

As he pushed himself up, Libby grabbed his upper arm near his shoulder to help him. It was so hard that she had to force the memory of him holding her last night from her mind. He’d been hurt, and she had to take care of him—just like he had taken care of Flossie. She owed him at least that much, and she couldn’t concentrate on it if her mind kept wandering to last night.

When he was seated, she reluctantly released him. She watched in silent admiration while he pulled his buckskin shirt over his head. If only he could have borne the heat and kept it on! Then these wild images of his embracing her, of his kissing her, wouldn’t torment her like they did.

Tossing his shirt aside, Nate tried to stand. But as he rose, he began to sway. Libby scrambled to her feet and wrapped her arms around his narrow waist to steady him. When his arm slid around her shoulders, she gazed up at him.

Despite his mild protest, he let her take him to the shady side of the wagon. With Libby’s assistance, he lay down. Finally, he smiled up at her as she knelt at his side. “Thank you, Miss Libby, but you needn’t fuss over me. I can take care of myself.”

Libby returned his smile. “Any man addled enough to insist that someone bigger than he hit him is obviously incapable of taking care of himself.”

“I suppose I deserved that remark,” Nate replied cheerfully. “Did Will tell you what happened?”

“Yes. He didn’t want to hit you, Nate. He feels terrible that you hit your head on that rock.”

“So that’s what happened. The lad’s more powerful than I expected. I thought I could take it, but I was wrong. Will doesn’t blame himself, does he?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Where is he? I promised I’d explain after he hit me. By the way, how did I get back here? Never mind. That was a stupid question. Will brought me back, of course. I’m not thinking very clearly yet.”

“As a matter of fact, Will didn’t bring you back—at least, not most of the way. I did.”

His eyes widened, and his mouth gaped in astonishment. “You? How could you? You’re just a little bit of a thing. I don’t think you could drag me.”

“You were conscious for a while,” she explained, “although you were delirious. It took some doing, but I got you back here with your help.”

“You said I was delirious. Did I say anything I shouldn’t have?”

“Not that I’m aware of. You kept apologizing for letting my sister kiss you, and you kept begging me to let you stay. Then you insisted on enumerating all the differences between Flossie and myself. All in all, you didn’t make much sense. I let you ramble on because there was probably no stopping you even if I’d tried.”

“Damn it!” Grimacing, he laid his hand on his head with a groan. “I’m going to have to apologize again. I imagine everything I said was true, Miss Libby, but I wanted to explain calmly. I hope I didn’t give you the wrong idea.”

“It was true?” she asked, stunned.

“Probably. I don’t remember what I said, but if you’ll give me the opportunity, I’d like to explain rationally.”

Unable to speak, Libby nodded and listened, stone-faced so as not to reveal her thoughts. She was afraid that he would misinterpret her distress, and she hated the feeling in her chest when he told her about the intimacy of the kiss. Why wouldn’t he stop explaining? Why wouldn’t he treat her like he had Flossie?