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working late," she muttered sharply. "And she acted as if I were the
interloper, not her."
"She wanted to marry me," he remarked, digging the knife in deeper.
"Well, you married me," she said angrily. "And I'm not going to be
cuckolded!"
"Antonia! What a word!"
''You know what I mean!''
"I hope I do," he said quietly, searching her furious eyes. "Why don't you
explain it to me?"
"I wish I had a bottle, I'd explain it," she raged at him, "right over your
hard head!"
His dark eyes widened with humor. "You're so jealous you can't see
straight," he said, chuckling.
"Of that skinny redheaded cat?" she retorted.
He moved closer to the bed, still grinning. "Meow."
She glared at him, her fists clenched on the covers. "I'm twice the woman
she is!"
He cocked one eyebrow. "Are you up to proving it?" he challenged softly.
Her breath came in sharp little whispers. "You go lock that door. I'll show
you a few things."
He laughed with sheer delight. He locked the door and turned out the top
light, turning back toward the bed.
She was standing beside it by then, and while he watched, she slid her
negligee and gown down her arms to the floor.
"Well?" she asked huskily. "I may be a little thinner than I like, but I..."
He was against her before she could finish, his arms encircling her, his
mouth hungry and insistent on her lips. She yielded at once, no argument, no
protest.
He laid her down and quickly divested himself of everything he was wearing.
"Wait a minute," she protested weakly, "I'm supposed to be... proving
something."
"Go ahead," he said invitingly as his mouth opened on her soft breast and
his hands found new territory to explore.
She tried to speak, but it ended on a wild little cry. She arched up to him
and her nails bit into his lean hips. By the time his mouth shifted back to
hers and she felt the hungry pressure of his body over her, she couldn't even
manage a sound.
Later, storm-tossed and damp all over from the exertion, she lay panting
and trembling in his arms, so drained by pleasure that she couldn't even
coordinate her body. .
"You were too weak," he accused lazily, tracing her mouth with a lazy finger
as he arched over her. "I shouldn't have done that."
"Yes, you should," she whispered huskily, drawing his mouth down over
hers. "It was beautiful."
"Indeed it was." He smiled against her lips. "I hope you were serious about
wanting children. I meant to stop by the drugstore, but I forgot."
She laughed. "I love children, and we've only got one so far."
He lifted his head and searched her eyes. "You've changed her."
"She's changed me. And you." Her arms tightened around his neck. "We're a
family. I've never been so happy. And from now on, it will only get better."
He nodded. "She's very forgiving," he replied. "I've got to earn back the
trust I lost along the way. I'm ashamed for what I've put her through."
"Life is all lessons," she said. "She's got you now. She'll have sisters and
brothers to spoil, too." Her eyes warmed him. "I love you."
He traced the soft line of her cheek. "I've loved you for most of my life," he
said simply, shocking her, because he'd never said the words before. "I
couldn't manage to tell you. Funny, isn't it? I didn't realize what I had until I
lost it." His eyes darkened. "I wouldn't have wanted to live, if you hadn't."
"Powell," she whispered brokenly.
He kissed away the tears. "And you thought I wanted the widow Holton!"
"Well, she's skinny, but she is pretty."
"Only on the outside. You're beautiful clean through, especially when
you're being Maggie's mom."
She smiled. "That's because I love so much," she whispered.
"And he loves you," he whispered back, bending. "Outrageously."
"Is that so?" she teased. "Prove it."
He groaned. "The spirit is willing, but you've worn out the flesh. Besides,"
he added softly, "you aren't up to long sessions just yet. I promise when
you're completely well, I'll take you to the Bahamas and we'll see if we can
make the world record book."
"Fair enough," she said. She held him close and closed her eyes, aglow with
the glory of loving and being loved.
Chapter Twelve
The new teacher for Maggie's class found a cooperative, happy little girl as
ready to help as Julie Ames was. And Maggie came home each day with a new
outlook and joy in being with her parents. There were long evenings with new
movies in front of the fire, and books to look at, and parties, because Antonia
arranged them and invited all the kids Maggie liked especially Jake.
Powell had done some slowing down, although he was still an arch rival of
Dawson Rutherford's over that strip of land the widow Holton was dangling
between them.
"She's courting him," Powell muttered one evening. "That's the joke of the
century. The man's ice clean through. He avoids women like the plague, but
she's angling for a weekend with him."
"Yes, I know. I spoke to Barrie last week. She said he's tried to get her to
come home and chaperone him, but they had a terrible fight over it and now
they're not speaking at all. Barrie's jealous of her, I think."
"Poor kid," he replied, drawing Antonia closer. "There's nothing to be jealous
of. Rutherford doesn't like women."
"He doesn't like men, either."
He chuckled. "Me, especially. I know. What meant was that he's not
interested in sexual escapades, even with lovely widows. He just wants land
and cattle."
"Women are much more fun," she teased, snuggling close.
"Barrie might try showing him that."
"She'd never have the nerve."
"Barrie? Are we talking about the same woman who entertained three
admirers at once at dinner?"
"Dawson is different," she replied. "He matters."
"I begin to see the light."
She closed her eyes with a sigh. "He's a nice man," she said. "You don't like
him because of his father, but he's not as ruthless as George was."
He stiffened. "Let's not talk about George."
She lifted away and looked at him. "You don't still believe...!"
"Of course not," he said immediately. "I meant that the Rutherfords have
been a thorn in my side for years, in a business sense. Dawson and I will never
be friends."
"Never is a long time. Barrie is my friend."
"And a good one," he agreed.
"Yes, well, I think she might end up with Dawson one day."
' 'They 're related," he said shortly.
"They are not. His father married her mother."
"He hates her, and vice versa."
"I wonder," Antonia said quietly. "That sort of dislike is suspicious, isn't it?
I mean, you avoid people you really dislike. He's always making some excuse
to see Barrie and give her hell."
"She gives it right back," he reminded her.
"She has to. A man like that will run right over a woman unless she stands
up to him." She curled her fingers into his. "You're like that, too," she added,
searching his black eyes quietly. "A gentle woman could never cope with you."
"As Sally found out," he agreed. His fingers contracted. "There's something
about our marriage that I never told you. I think it's time I did. Maggie was
born two months premature. I didn't sleep with Sally until after I broke our
engagement. And I was so drunk that I thought you'd come back to me,"
he added quietly. "You can't imagine how sick I felt when I woke up with her
the next morning and realized what I'd done. And it was too late to put it right."
She didn't say anything. She swallowed down the pain. "I see."
"I was cruel, Antonia," he said heavily. "Cruel and thoughtless. But I paid for
it. Sadly, Sally and Maggie paid with me, and so did you." He searched her
eyes. "From now on, baby, if you tell me green is orange, I'll believe it. I wanted
to tell you that from the day you came back to your father's house and I saw
you there."
"You made cutting remarks instead."
He smiled ruefully. "It hurts to see what you've lost," he replied. "I loved you
to the soles of your feet, and I couldn't tell you. I thought you hated me."
"Part of me did."
"And then I found out why you'd really come here to teach," he said. "I
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